Queens and Mages
by JustClem
Summary: She, Weiss Schnee, is the Demon Queen; the most powerful demon to have ever existed. Every human wishes to defeat her in order to restore balance to the world. All, except for this one Ruby Rose who challenges her not for any noble reason, but to marry her.
1. Chapter I: An Unusual Beginning

**Before We Get Started:**

**Though you don't have to read it to be able to understand this story, I have to say that this story is based off of a Webtoon called "Mage and Demon Queen" by _Color_LES_. You should check it out, it's an amazing story and if you love RWBY, then you'll love it as well! You can tell that the creator's put so much work into their story... Plus, the demon queen from the original story's like, hot as frick, so... that's another good reason to check it out.**

**This story will be updated once a week on this very day.**

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**Author's Notes****:**

**School's about to start, so I thought it would be a good idea to finally post this. I've had this entire work - which consists of 8-9 chapters - residing in the doc manager for around 200 days, and I wrote it for far longer than that.**

**Enjoy~**

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**~Queens and Mages~**

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**Chapter I**

**An Unusual Beginning**

At the ripe age of sixteen years old, she'd claimed the demon castle already, defeating the previous queen without dropping any blood nor sweat.

She was Weiss Schnee, a demon with pale skin - flawless if not for the faded scar lining her left eye - and an even paler, pearly white hair, her eyes a piercing blue that was able to make humans quiver with fear. She had an ethereal, indescribable beauty, her horns only serving to accentuate both her magnificence and strength.

And now she sat in the throne, a year later, known for her dark magic and powers beyond anyone had ever accomplished before. She'd accomplished what all demons dreamed, becoming the most powerful, ruthless, and the most feared by all humans and monsters alike.

And she was also very bored.

Humans rarely reached the very top of the tower where she dwelled, and when they did… they didn't pose much of a threat. Not to her.

But life was… good, she supposed.

She had her trusted generals, one of which was Blake Belladonna, the beast that came from shadow. Out of them all, she must say that the cat would be her favorite.

She also had many golds and jewels and all kinds of treasures, enough to ensure the lives of the whole human kingdom.

She had achieved her goal.

She had everything she wanted.

Or… so she thought.

**…**

The echoing sound of footsteps was what woke her from her slumber.

Blue eyes showed themselves beneath her lids, a wicked smile slowly on her lips when she realized whoever had walked in was not her demon generals. Or even demons at all.

It was a human.

The demon's eyes narrowed, taking in every little single detail of this human.

After all, it wasn't every day that a human managed to defeat every one of her generals and stood in the tallest floor of the old tower.

This human was… a different one.

It was small and hid its frame and potions and weapons and even its face under her large, rose-colored hooded-cloak, strands of dark red hair poking out from it.

The human stopped a few feet from her, and the demon had to take a moment to marvel the aura of power emanating from this human.

Yes…

This would be an enjoyable fight, indeed.

Too bad the human would lose to her, just like all the other humans.

No matter how much strength they possessed, they could never hope to rival her powers.

"Interesting…" she mused, her eyes never leaving this small human as she stood from her throne. "I think you're the youngest human to ever reach the top of the tower."

The cloak shifted as the human's head tilted to the side.

"Well, I'm not _that_ young, I'm almost fifteen…"

Oh.

It was a female.

A rather young female, at that.

Weiss' eyes narrowed.

This girl had potential.

"Very well then, let us get this over with."

The human suddenly threw up her hands and shook them, taking an uneasy step back. "W-wait, but you don't even know why I'm here!"

She merely narrowed her eyes in question.

"Is it not obvious, Child? You wish to take my head and restore balance as well as gain all the gold and glory the humans can offer."

The human panicked even more, shaking her head vehemently and clenching her fists.

"N-no, I don't wanna take off your head, that's wrong."

The demon queen stared.

"... Then why are you here, Child?"

"And can you stop calling me that?" the girl suddenly said, crossing her arms in a seemingly unpleased gesture. "You're only two years older than me."

Her eyes twitched.

She disliked it when others brought up her age. So what if she was only seventeen?! Did that not make her even more dangerous?! To have achieved greatness in such an early age!

She drew in a breath.

There was no use showing her displeasure through words. Rather, she'd simply do it by beating this human to death, just like all the other humans.

"Very well, then, what do you wish to be called? The unbreakable? The almighty?" she said, only half-tauntingly. Humans had this strange affinity towards nicknames - it was as if they disliked their own names. They always came up with such ridiculous names for themselves, thinking it was anything but ridiculous. She couldn't understand why.

"Umm, no, well, unless you want to, in that case it's alright, but-"

"Just tell me your name, human," she snapped.

She hated small talk.

A tiny wave of guilt washed over her when the human flinched.

"... Ruby. Ruby Rose…"

Her voice was small and weak and the general wondered if she truly was a fighter or just a lost girl who happened to be passing by.

"Interesting name, Ruby Rose… Tell me; why are you here?" she asked as she began to walk towards her, stopping only when she could see the girl more clearly.

Those eyes, hidden beneath the shadow, still shone.

It fascinated the demon. She didn't let it show.

Slowly, the human brought her hands up, and, at first, the demon tensed, thinking she was about to cast a spell but forced herself to relax when she realized this human was just reaching out to pull down her hood.

"Well, I'm, umm, I want to challenge you to a battle, and if I win… I…"

The hood fluttered down, revealing the cute face of her opponent, Ruby Rose, who looked determined despite her blush.

"I want you to please be my bride!"

A beat passed.

Weiss' evil brain was still processing what the girl had declared rather boldly.

Another beat passed.

Weiss now fully understood that this human was, indeed, asking for her hand in marriage.

Another beat passed.

And another.

And another.

Before finally…

"WHAT?!"

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**~To be Continued~**

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**Author's Notes:**

**As you can see, I changed a few aspects of the original story to better match Ruby and Weiss' character and so I won't just be ****plagiarising the original.**

**The main differences between Malori and Ruby's character traits are that Malori doesn't want to save the world, while Ruby does, and that Malori is confident, and Ruby is, well… Ruby.**

**I try to use those differences to separate my fanfiction from the actual story because if I copied and pasted every aspect from the original Webtoon, then… I'm a jerk who profits off of people's hard work without having to actually do anything.**

**The same thing goes for Weiss and Velverosa. Velverosa is, to my knowledge, an experienced combatant who knows how to lead her demons. Meanwhile, Weiss just became the Queen for a year and is 17 years old, just like in the show.**

**I also changed that mermaid, glasses-wearing lady with Blake because why not?**


	2. Chapter II: Sisters With Similar Tastes

**Author's Notes:**

**First of all, holy crap! 100+ follows in one chapter?! Wow, thanks a lot, guys! I didn't expect this story to be popular _at all_! Man, I might actually write more of these! Man, this reminds me of how H&D first started! **

**Oh, and this will introduce us to our **_**favorite **_**blonde (not the loser or the monkey) as well as show her own little story.**

**Enjoy~**

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**~Queens and Mages~**

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**Chapter II**

**Sisters with Similar Tastes**

She tapped her foot impatiently, crossing her arms as she waited for her dear, lovable, definitely _not _suicidal sister to arrive.

The priest was already glaring at her like mad, probably wanting her to get the hell out of his sacred church.

"C'mon, Rubes…"

Out of nowhere, a coffin appeared with a paper taped to it that said 'Ruby' in crummy handwriting, muffled protests coming from inside.

Wordlessly, she held up the coffin and brought it over her head with ease, all with one hand, ignoring the old priest's baffled look as she laid it down and opened it, revealing none other than…

"Gah! Why's my cloak always tangled whenever I revived?!"

… Ruby Rose, the strongest student in the entire Academy of Adventurers, only rivaled by she herself, Ruby's sister…

Yang Xiao Long.

**…**

"Hey, Yang?"

Her eyes stopped scanning the pages of the Books of Spells, looking up to find her sister fidgeting.

"Yeah?"

Ruby didn't say anything for a while, looking down. Yang closed her book and waited patiently for her sister to strengthen herself and say whatever she wanted to say.

The classroom was quiet save for the ticking clock and the muffled voices of the students and teachers outside.

"Why don't you hate me?"

Yang's eyes slowly zeroed in on her sister, who grew more and more nervous with each second.

Suddenly, she pulled the girl into a bone-crushing embrace. "How can I ever hate my precious baby sister~?" she cooed.

Usually, her little sister would be thrashing around, demanding that she be put down because she was no longer a kid anymore (even though she totally was), so when Ruby didn't even move…

Yang grew concerned.

She gently retracted from the embrace but kept her hands on the girl's shoulders, crouching a little in order to see eye-to-eye.

"Ruby…?"

Her sister refused to look at her, shoulders tense as she bit her lip.

"I… I'm in love with Queen Weiss, and… people think by killing her off, they'll restore balance," she scoffed uncharacteristically, "Like _that'll _actually happen." She closed her eyes, sighed, and turned so she could look at Yang. "If anyone else knew… they'd think I'm a traitor. But you..." Her eyes narrowed. "You're okay with it. And I don't get why."

This time, it was Yang's turn to grow solemn, releasing her hold as she stood up only to turn around, hiding her face in the shadows.

_I guess…_

_I guess it's time, isn't it?_

_Time for her to know the truth…_

_What I'd been hiding all my life… _

_My deepest secret… _

"... Do you ever think that the reason why I'm so cool with you being in love with a monster - _the_ queen of monsters, no less, is because…" She braced herself. "I'm more alike with you than you think."

A beat.

And another.

"Yang…?"

She finally turned around, ignoring the heat in her cheeks and tried to look as brave as possible when she said…

"Ruby, you're not the only one in love with a demon."

Ruby's eyes widened, a small gasp emerging from her lips.

A beat passed.

And another.

And suddenly the red reaper summoned her scythe and - before Yang could even register what was happening - hit her with it. Hard.

So hard that she flew to the wall.

"NO WAY! YOU CAN'T BE IN LOVE WITH QUEEN WEISS! _I'M_ ALREADY IN LOVE WITH HER!"

She shook her head to better clear it, and, once she realized what just happened, screamed, "What the hell, Ruby?!"

The tip of Ruby's scythe met her neck.

Silver eyes filled with suspicion and rage narrowed into wide, shocked lilac.

"Are you… Are you planning to steal her away from me?" she asked, her voice low and rough.

"RUBY! I am _not_ in love with Queen Weiss! She's too short for my taste!" she yelled, beating some sense into her air-headed sister before she got killed. She did _not _like being in trapped in a coffin.

"Oh…" In a snap, the predatory vanished from her silver eyes, and Ruby was back to being her klutz of a sister. "Oh, that's a relief."

She unsummoned her scythe and help Yang get off from the wall.

Yang cringed when she saw that her HP was already in the yellow. Yaiks. This girl could hit _hard. _

Ruby walked to the desk, grabbed Yang's book - which elected to raise her golden eyebrow - returned to her sister…

And whack her with that book.

"And never call my queen short ever again," she said with an angry pout.

Yang rolled her eyes at her sister's ridiculous and cute behavior, ruffling her hair while uttering a small, "Alright, alright…"

Ruby, of course, squirmed away from her grasp.

But then she blinked and looked up at her curiously.

"Wait, if you're not in love with _my _queen… then… who're you in love _with_?"

Slowly, a smile curled into her lips and a blush faded into her cheeks.

Just thinking about the kitty made her all lovey-dovey… which was unusual for her since she was usually a ruthless brawler.

She sighed dreamily, wrapping her hands together, ignoring the weird look her sister was giving her.

Her heart soared when she spoke the name of the demon who'd captured her eyes and heart and her _everything_…

"Blake. Blake Belladonna."

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**~To be Continued~**

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**Author's Notes:**

**Yang is, of course, based off of Cerik and that is only because there is no other character that is close to Malori than Cerik. Of course, Jaune is always a possibility but… The dude's a sore loser.**

**Also, did you notice the subtle yet important words that **_**show**_ **Ruby's separation from Malori?**

"**People think by killing her off, they'll restore balance. Like _that'll_ actually happen."**

**This is the key difference between Ruby and Malori.**

**Malori, to my current knowledge, doesn't care about restoring balance and only cares about her queen.**

**Meanwhile, Ruby doesn't _believe_ that killing her queen _will_ even restore balance.**

**I know that, in the grand scheme of things, this won't really matter that much, but I just wanted to add this tidbit in because one of Ruby's key traits is her need to help others, and I feel like I'm betraying her character if I were to write her otherwise.**


	3. Chapter III: The Flustered Queen

**Author's Notes:**

**This is a shorter chapter, sorry, but hey, you guys finally see the last member of the RWBY family~ our favorite kitty cat~ **

**I had to split the original chapter into this chapter and the next one because it was getting too long and I think the rest of the chapter would work better as its own chapter.**

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**~Queens and Mages~**

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**Chapter III**

**The Flustered Queen**

The queen scowled in disgust, flicking the human's forehead mid-battle and temporarily scolding her. "Honestly, Ruby, that form is preposterous! Even by human standards!"

The brunette pouted at her as if she'd done her wrong and cast a small blast between them, propelling herself away to pose dramatically with her scythe, crouching with that hideous monstrosity hoisted on her back.

That could not be comfortable.

"How you manage to survive this long, I have no idea..." whispered Weiss, shaking her head.

It had become a regular occurrence for Ruby to show up on top of the tower, all chipper and confident and determined to defeat her and make her the human's wife.

At first, the queen scowled and quickly obliviated her using a swift fire spell, and when the human dodged that, she used an ice spell, and when the human dodged that, she combined both of these spells, and so on.

The more she fought this human, the more Weiss… stalled… before killing her off.

She couldn't place why, but she wanted to spend as much time as she could with this human before she finished her off.

Was it similar to the way predators played with their meals?

Weiss stole a quick glance at the brunette who was taking a "time-out", rejuvenating her health with potions and what-not.

… Maybe it was.

Or perhaps it was because Ruby was different from all the other opponents she faced. She was not like her demons who she knew would never beat her, nor was she like the other humans whose fighting styles became too predictable and too reliant on spells and potions instead of real power and skills.

Ruby Rose made fighting… enjoyable.

Though, that wasn't to say she was a perfect fighter.

She had a great potential, for sure, but her fighting style was still… raw. Unpolished. Not to mention completely messy and too flashy at times.

"Why bother with your health when your potions are all done for?" Weiss called out, shifting her weight as she crossed her arms, scowling. "You're too exhausted to win this fight, Ruby."

The brunette stole a glance at her before using the last of her healing potion, and even then, her health bar was still in the red.

Weiss would've been mildly concerned - wondering if this human had suicidal tendencies - if the girl didn't just respawn after each death.

The girl then shyly looked up to her and the demon had to suppress her blush because, wow… _cute._

Ruby hugged her scythe tightly, making the deadly weapon looked less deadly and more… cuddly. Like a pillow.

"W-well," she said, her own cheeks dusted with pink. "I didn't do it because I want to win… I did it because I want to look at your face… 'cuz they're so pretty, you know…"

And, with that, Weiss zapped the girl to death.

A beat passed.

She put her hand on her face, a warm and unpleasantly-pleasant feeling bubbling in her chest, spreading like wildfire.

That human…

Weiss didn't understand her at all.

And she…

She didn't hate her, too…

Just…

Why _marriage?!_

Of _all_ things?!

"Don't you think you're being too harsh with her?"

Weiss turned, embedding herself into a battle-stance, prepared to take on any and all enemies.

Her eyes widened when the amber, slitted eyes came from the darkest of shadows, the cheshire grin appearing moments later.

"B-Blake?!"

The cat emerged from the shadow, unblinking amber staring into slightly-startled blue.

Weiss was the most powerful demon… the one who rightfully earned her place as the queen…

So, for someone to catch her off-guard…

"I mean, out of every other human, she's the only one that doesn't want to chop off your head." The noirette tilted her head slightly, one of her ear drooping in response as she smiled almost playfully.

"I don't know if that's a good thing…"

Weiss made her way to the bottom floors, wanting to check on her demons, her monsters.

Blake followed beside her, quiet as a ghost.

A sudden question popped into her head - one that had been in the back of her head for so long… one she'd been meaning to ask her general, but never had the proper time to do so.

Not until now.

"I can understand why she's able to defeat the other monsters, but you, Blake… How is she able to manage to beat you?"

Blake was a figure shrouded in mystery. She never spoke much, never told much about where she was from or who her family was and how she came to this castle… and Weiss never pried.

All the queen needed to know was that she was loyal and could be trusted. And Blake truly was.

She was closer to the cat than she was to the other monsters. Perhaps it was because they were both in the same age…

Blake was powerful in her own right. Sure, she may never be able to defeat her, but she could still defeat the other monsters in the castle with ease.

Weiss had seen her in battle.

Blake had the grace of a feline - unlike any she'd seen before, moving in such a way that made her look as if she was dancing effortlessly.

Blake was powerful…

So powerful, in fact, that Weiss knew she would never lose to Ruby Rose.

The human may be powerful, but Blake was experienced.

"How, Blake? How is she able to defeat you every time?"

Was there something Weiss was missing? A secret power Ruby possessed? Or…

Or was Blake ill? Should she be taken to a healer?

Thousands of ideas raced in her head… Every single one always worse and more bizarre than the last…

So, for Blake to simply say "Because I let her beat me, of course."

… Well…

It was safe to say that Weiss' mind stopped functioning for quite a long few seconds.

"... What?"

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**~To be Continued~**

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**Author's Notes:**

**Of course, if you've read the comic, you already know Blake's reasons, but, that doesn't mean the next chapter's going to be stale~ far from it. In fact, I'll use this opportunity to spin my own take on the story with different characters that reacts to news in different ways, as well as different interactions and character-dynamics.**

**The next chapter will feature more blushing Weiss, more teasing, and more Blake being the awesome ninja cat that she is.**

**Bye guys~**


	4. Chapter IV: Cats and Dragons

**Author's Notes:**

**Well, this chapter is surprisingly easy to write, maybe it's because it's from Blake's POV…**

**Speaking of which, I've only just realized now that I've never written a chapter of this story from Ruby's POV…**

**Should I maybe fix that?**

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**~Queens and Mages~**

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**Chapter IV**

**Cats and Dragons **

Blake grinned at the little "... What?" that came out of the queen's lips. How she could be seen as scary, the cat didn't know.

It was always a hobby of hers to bring her queen into a fluster.

"You heard me, Weiss. I went easy on her many times. So much so that I just let her pass through my floor."

The fluster didn't die down - in fact, it increased - but suspicion began to mark her features, suspicion that the queen barely concealed.

Queen Weiss was always an expressive one, even if she would never admit it.

"... Why?"

"It's not treason, my queen," she quickly said with an easy smile, letting the shorter girl look at her for a couple of seconds, searching for any signs of dishonesty before she released a sigh, rubbing her temples.

"Then what _is _it?"

Blake hummed thoughtfully, scratching her chin as she figured out the right words.

She found her answer when they reached her floor. Turning to meet her queen's lost blue eyes, she spoke. "It's… wanting to make you feel happy."

"Excuse me?"

Blake smiled at her queen's utter confusion.

"My queen, you've resided in this tower for over a year now, and not once have I seen you so content with yourself… not until Ruby." Redness crept upon her queen's face. Blake's smile widened but she chose not to say anything. "She makes you happy, and I - as well as the other monsters - would like to see our queen smile more often."

And she meant every word.

Weiss Schnee was… the best queen this place had ever gotten.

She was not unnecessarily ruthless to either the humans nor her own subjects.

She rarely ever wanted to punish her subjects and, most of the time, she'd always asked Blake for directions on how to do such an act.

She was… an inexperienced queen.

But she was also very kind, very gentle, even when she tried to act as if she was anything but.

Her monsters respected her. Admired her. Maybe Blake would even go so far as to say they loved and cherished and cared for her. Each and every one of them.

And they wanted nothing more than for their queen to be happy.

If that meant letting this Ruby girl past by them with no real fights, then so be it.

"Yes, well, I understand that, but… what about the other monsters?"

"They were reluctant to let her in, fearing that they'll face your wrath."

"But…?"

Blake shrugged almost helplessly. "Ruby's a nice kid," was her simple answer. And really, she was. Ruby was the second human she'd encountered that didn't hate monsters, right after a particularly strong blonde… "Plus, they all know she's going to beat her either way, so… What's the point in fighting?"

Her ears perked up when they detected a faint sound coming from the lower floor. They sounded like… footsteps and… whistling.

"Great…" muttered the queen.

"Hey Blake!" a chirpy sound said, echoing in the quiet, ancient tower. "I didn't see you earlier when I was on my way to- Queen Weiss? Why are you on the lower floor… You're usually on the toppest- err, most top floor?"

And Ruby Rose was back in all of her glory, cloak fluttering, bright silver eyes blinking with such liveliness, her smile brightening the dark room.

Blake crossed her arms and walked away from her queen only to lean against one of the pillars, intent on watching this fun interaction.

"Does it matter to you?" growled her queen. "And didn't I _just _zap you to death?"

"It's Sunday and I don't have anything to do today…" And Blake found it cute that the first thing that came into the human's mind was to revisit her queen. "And, I mean, you'll be my queen so it kinda does matter…"

Blake chuckled at the human's boldness. That chuckle turned into a burst of laughter she barely managed to suppress when Weiss' face turned into the same shade of red as Ruby's cloak.

She then rose her eyebrow when Weiss glared at her and all the human did in response was to chuckle and rub her neck.

Other humans would've cowered at the queen's glare, even monsters were fearful of it.

But Ruby… sure, she was scared, but it was less out of genuine fear of the glare and more out of not wanting to offend her queen.

This human certainly _was_ an interesting one.

"Okay, umm, before that, hey, Blake?" The cat hummed in response, flicking an ear toward the girl. "Do you know a girl who can set her own hair and everything else on fire that goes by the name of Yang?"

"That sounds like an… opponent," muttered Weiss, most likely wondering why she had never faced such a human.

Slowly, Blake smiled a Cheshire smile.

The name itself brought a good kind of rush to her veins and she licked her lips.

"I do," she purred, ignoring both the baffled look her queen was giving her and the

"Oh… Cool… Cool… Sorry if she does anything weird… she usually does everything weird…" Blake refrained from saying that her weirdness was what drove them together in the first place. "But uh… can- I mean _may_ I fight Queen Weiss?"

"I-"

"Sure you can, Ruby." Blake turned to Weiss, grinning at the queen's furious look and winked, dragging herself out of the room to give her queen and her future wife privacy. "And remember," she looked over her shoulder giddily. "Our queen's weakness is her stamina, do play on that weak point, Ruby Rose."

Ruby blinked then beamed. "Roger that!" she cheered with a mock salute.

Blake left before her queen could say anything or wonder where she was even going.

Her queen wouldn't punish her… not really. The worst she'd get was an angry lecturing. Weiss would never harm her. She was gentle, even if she'd never admit it.

Plus…

Blake had her own things to take care of.

Her own human she wanted to play with.

One that was currently humming to herself in the middle of the empty room, playing with the dancing fire on her hands, chuckling to herself as she effortlessly ceased and fueled the flame.

Lilac found amber and Yang Xiao Long grinned at her.

"Didn't anyone tell you not to play with fire?" asked Blake.

Yang, completely ignoring her witty not-question, answered it with another question. "How'd you know I'd be here?"

"I just do," was her intentionally vague reply.

"Well then, kitten…" The human began to stretch and twist her arms, loosening her muscles. "Let's do this, shall we?"

She raised her eyebrow. "Just like that?" she wondered. "No cocky promises that you'd win without breaking a sweat or anything of the sort?"

Yang stopped her stretching to rub her neck sheepishly in an eerily similar fashion as the only other human Blake didn't dislike, making her wonder if the two were related somehow. "Eh… We both know I'd never let that happen."

She scoffed. "Yeah, right. Because you're not _really _going all out, and you're letting me win on purpose."

Yang took her battle stance, her eyes glowing red despite the warm and honest smile curling on her lips.

"I'd rather die than hurt you."

And she really would, if their many, many battles before were any indication.

* * *

**~To be Continued~**

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**Author's Notes:**

**Yay! We finally get to see Bumblebee interact! And, surprise-surprise, they have their own thing going on. What is that thing? Well, it's sort of the exact opposite of Ruby and Weiss' dynamic.**

**With Ruby and Weiss, they fought seriously and the human really wants to defeat her and their powers aren't on-par with each other (yet).**

**With Yang and Blake, they are equals or, at least, close to it and neither of them actually takes the fight seriously. Yang always loses in the end, and whether that's because she really is holding back or if Blake's the better fighter is up in the air.**

**See you next time~**


	5. Chapter V: For our Queen

**Author's Notes:**

**So, yeah. I changed my name. Yay!**

**Also, I won't be able to update this story next week, nor the week after. I'm going on a vacation with my family. So... yeah. Just a heads up, you guys.**

**Anyways!**

**This chapter was a little interesting for me to write. But also a lot of fun. It's a flashback chapter, too.**

* * *

**~Queens and Mages~**

* * *

**Chapter V**

**For our Queen**

"Um… Hello."

Blake looked up from her book for the first time that morning, surprised to see a young human girl looking up nervously at her, her hands fiddling with the envelope she brought.

Amber eyes narrowed into slits immediately as she rose, casting black flame around her as she prepared herself to either attack or defend _from _an attack.

"N-no! Wait! I don't wanna fight you!"

The slitted amber eyes narrowed. Oh. So, she was facing a cheating trickster this time - one that tricked her into believing they were not a threat before surprising her with an attack.

Tsk. Yeah.

As if someone like her would fall for that low, scummy trick.

"H-honest! I want to give Queen Weiss something and all the other monsters told me to come to you!"

"Is that so?" She grinned ferociously, not even stopping for a moment as the figure of the petrified girl came closer and closer. "Is it poison? An explosion spell?"

"What? No! It's a-"

Blake didn't give her the chance to finish, claws extracted as she brought them to the human with an unmatched speed…

Only…

Her speed wasn't unmatched… for the very first time.

The girl was a couple of feet away, still looking scared as ever.

Blake gaped at her.

"Please, just listen!" she screamed, her voice echoing throughout the empty old room. "I'm not here to fight!"

… As if she'd believe that.

Blake launched 'herself' at the girl, smirking when the girl dodged only for the real her to appear behind her clone.

To her surprise, the human dodged again, immediately running to the other side of the room.

"I don't want to hurt you!" shouted the human as her nervousness slowly turned into agitation. "I just want to give my queen a letter!"

A letter? Blake's slitted eyes turned back to normal. The girl _had _been holding an envelope all this time. But that didn't mean she wasn't suspicious. "What did you write in it?"

The girl's eyes widened and she took a step back. "It's… It's not something I want anyone to know."

Her eyes turned back into feral slits once more. "And how will I know it's not a trap?"

The human, to her surprise, just blinked, slowly tilting her head to the side. "Umm… I guess you don't?"

… Clearly, this human wasn't very smart.

Blake wordlessly summoned Gambol Shroud, humming to herself when the handle of her trusted blade melted into her practiced hands perfectly, like two pieces of a puzzle.

The girl bit her lip, looking down for a moment before asking, "If I… If I beat you in this fight… Will you give my letter to her?"

Blake scoffed. This human was a cocky one, for sure. No one had ever passed her floor. No one had ever come close to defeating her. No one other than… well… a particularly _fiery_ human.

"Perhaps" was her only answer before she charged…

Only to growl when the girl's figure dissolved into petals. Rose petals.

"Fine, then." Blake blinked and shivered at the sudden burst of power coming from behind her - coming from the same place at that chilling voice.

She turned, eyes widening and jaw dropping when she saw that the human was… no longer as weak or as stupid as she first perceived her to be.

She extended her right arm, wisps of a red glow fading into existence, the intensity of the glow increasing, the blobby figure of it sharpening until…

That red glow turned into a scythe the same size as that girl.

Blake clenched her jaws and looked at the girl- no, the fighter.

Her silver eyes bore deeply into her own amber ones.

"If this is what it takes to get me to my queen, then so be it."

She twirled her scythe expertly before dashing toward her. Blake took a defensive stance immediately, knowing that she needed a plan before trying to take down this skilled human.

Their weapons clashed, and the shrieking sound of it was heard.

And then, the same sound was heard again as their weapons found each other.

And again.

And again.

And again.

The human was ruthless, leaving no room for an opening. Her style was messy but powerful. The strength behind each missed strike intriguingly reminded her of that other human.

Still…

Blake could easily defeat her.

But she didn't, because…

She wanted to ask this human something, but she didn't know how to ask it.

It was a stupid question. One that she wouldn't have made a big deal of… if not for the girl's pure honesty as she said it.

"Why do you call her your queen?"

Blake redirected another strike from her. It was impossible to completely block that monstrosity with her smaller and thinner blade, so she opted to either redirect it or dodge it completely.

Out of the corner of her sharp eyes, she found the envelope the girl had been holding before, chained tightly to her belt.

A small, predatory smile, unbeknownst to the human, formed.

When the human struck again, she struck back with so much force that it sent both of them flying.

She may be starting to sweat but her opponent was panting harshly.

"Because…" A huff. "That's what she is to me."

The human suddenly smiled, and it was such a genuine smile that it left her speechless.

"Queen Weiss is my everything. And I'm in love with her."

A beat passed.

Then another.

Then Blake readied herself once more, the girl doing the same, posing a battle stance.

This time, though, things would be different.

Blake ran towards her, then cast a shadow clone to which the girl tried to attack. When the girl tried to attack her, she cast another shadow clone.

And another.

And another.

And she knew it was dizzying and blinding and confusing the girl, just like it did with her other opponents.

And it gave her the chance to do what she wanted.

Her movements were subtle and quiet and, with her shadow clones barraging the human, she really didn't have time to even notice that something was taken from her.

Blake jumped back until she was out of distance, then hummed satisfyingly, letting her clones disappeared into nothing more than wisps of dark smoke.

"Wha…?"

By the time the human regained her senses, Blake had already read all of the content inside the letter.

"H-hey! That's not for you!"

Blake could only stare dumbfoundedly at the letter, her eyes switching back and forth between the writing and the human in front of her.

"You… You really do care about her…"

The girl blushed and poked her fingers together, shifting her weight. "Told you…" she mumbled, suddenly looking like more like a nervous child than the skilled fighter Blake had battled with seconds ago.

The monster bit her lip, reading the content once more, the gears in her head turning.

Then, she closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh, her weapon unsummoned as she stood in a more relaxed position. "I surrender."

The girl stared. "... I'm sorry?"

"You heard me. I surrender," she repeated, walking toward the girl, smirking when she tensed and aimed her giant scythe at her. "Which means you win. Which means I should fulfill my promise and give this letter to our queen."

The girl lit up, her eyes sparkling as a smile broke into her lips. "Really?"

Blake stood face-to-face with this human now, only a few inches separated them.

"There's something different about you…" Something weirdly familiar. "I can't place what, but there just is." Blake smiled. "Something's telling me to trust you." She looked down at the paper. "I should give this to our queen now. That was a good fight, human-"

"Ruby." She blinked as the girl smiled, holding out her hand. "My name's Ruby."

Blake blinked again before a small smile curled into her lips. _Well, I already trust one human…_ "Blake."

And so, Blake proudly and excitedly went up to see her queen - though she masked those emotions well - watching as her queen read the letter and the meaning of it, Weiss' eyebrows slowly raising to her hairline, her jaw dropping down, her scowl disappearing and was, instead, replaced by pure, utter shock, red slowly tinting her cheeks.

Blake might've been imagining it, but perhaps there was a semblance of happiness in those blue eyes…

And then the Queen burned the letter into nothingness, leaving Blake in utter shock and with the responsibility of breaking the horrible news to Ruby.

And, yes, Ruby did cry when she found out.

Not that it stopped her from writing even _more_ letters.

* * *

**~To be Continued~**

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Oh, wow, I wonder what's in that letter… such a mystery… and yeah, I know it's different from the real story where Queen Vel never bothered to read any of the mails Malori sent, but... I thought it'd be cute for Weiss to read just _one_ of those letters... **

**Yeah, I was honestly too lazy to write it, and I doubt that whatever it is I came up with would be better than anything you readers imagined. So I'll leave it to your own interpretation.**

**Also, writing the fight scene is… I mean, should it even be called a fight scene? I honestly don't know. The fight was never the main focus, so… **_**eh.**_


	6. Chapter VI: A New Monster

**Author's Notes:**

**Me: *arrives from New Zealand with an unbearable pain on my tailbone, a newfound fear of height, jet lag, a crush for my distant, estranged cousin, and acnes***

**Me: Guess who's now as old as Princess Jasmine?! :D**

**... Yeah, but in all honesty, holy crap guys! I feel so weird right now! Yesterday we flew from New Zealand to Bali, which took about 7-8 hours, then another flight from Bali to Jakarta in around 2-3 hours (I think.) The very next day, not even 12 hours later, we flew from Jakarta to my hometown, which miraculously took half an hour even though it was supposed to be 50 minutes.**

**Damn, everything feels super weird. Like, my friends and family's faces look kind of odd, for some reason. I know that they're supposed to look like that, and they've always looked like that, but, well, still. Jet lag is wild, guys. **

**Aaaaaaalsoooooooooo...**

**Guess who said hello to me...**

**... Blake Belladonna's VA.**

**... I ain't kidding.**

**Just- just watch this video: **https : {insert two slashes} www {dot} cameo {dot} com {insert one slash} v {insert one slash} 7RzthANNS

**To Fox, I know I said it before, like, a bunch of times, but thanks a lot, Fox. It's really one heck of a birthday gift.**

* * *

**~Queens and Mages~**

* * *

**Chapter VI**

**A New Monster**

"You shan't not pass!"

Ruby stared up at the… really humanoid-looking monster with pale yellow hair, blue eyes, wearing an armor.

"So… I can pass?" she asked.

The mage was still on the lowest level of the tower. Technically, she hadn't stepped foot into the tower itself, she was still a few blocks away from the gate.

The higher the level, the stronger the monster was.

So… for this monster to _not_ even be in the tower…

Ruby cringed simply thinking about it.

_Well, I did remember hearing Blake complain about the lack of monsters the other day… _

"Darn it! I messed up again!" Ruby's eyes slowly widened when the monster pressed his hand onto his head, which was a little hard to see since he was holding his sword. "It was so easy! Just say one line!" He groaned and whispered loud enough for everyone to hear, "You ruined it again, Arc!"

Ruby stared at him, bewildered.

_Is… Is he even a monster?_

She shook that thought away when she thought of Queen Weiss, trying to get this - whatever this even was - over with.

"Oh…" she muttered, walking to him. He wasn't even that tall, at least compared to other monsters she'd faced. "This your first day?"

He looked down on her. She expected disgust and hate and maybe even suspicion. Instead, all she found was curiosity. "Yeah. You can tell?"

"Yup!" She patted her hand against his metal-cased shoulder, giving her best encouraging smile. "Don't worry, err…"

"Jaune. Jaune Arc."

"Don't worry, Jaune. You're doing great!"

He smiled shyly, but it disappeared as he heaved a sigh and turned his head away, his shoulders sagging. "But I'm not scary enough."

"Well, I mean, you can be scarier," she admitted with a shrug, looking at him again, trying and failing to be intimidated by his presence. He didn't even look as old as the other monsters, maybe he was only a year or two older than she was.

"How?"

She thought for a moment before snapping her fingers, a more energetic smile forming on her face. "I know! How about this!" She took a step back, closed her eyes, and summoned a spell. Soon, a red glow began to form on him. She ignored his cries of protest and finished her spell. Then, she opened her eyes again and cheered, "Tada~!"

A transformation spell!

Though she couldn't do anything with his appearance, she could do something with his size!

Now he was a ten-foot humanoid-looking monster!

"Whoa!" He gazed down at himself, excited. "I look scary!"

And all was well…

Until…

"The Queen's gonna be so impressed, she'll definitely want to marry me now!"

"... Pardon?"

He looked proud. Far too proud for her liking. "Oh, yeah, you humans don't know, but I plan on taking Queen Weiss as my bride." He chuckled, running his hand through his not-that-impressive hair, lowly chuckling. "We… We sort of have something going on between us, you know." He winked down at her. "Something special."

"Oh… I… see."

…

"You wish to quit?" said Weiss as she looked at the Arc monster, a little bewildered. Only yesterday this young man seemed eager to be a part of her household (towerhold?) and was even more eager to make her his bride, which, side note, ew.

But now…

Now he stood nervously, almost as if he'd been traumatized with something despite him looking far larger than he did yesterday - or was that just her imagination?

He had bruises and scratches and- _are those handmarks?!_

Simply put, the boy looked awful.

"Y-yup!" he said, his voice screeching and trembling and hurting her acute ears. "Also, I don't want to marry you anymore."

"Eh?"

But she didn't have time to question his bizarre declaration, no matter how much of a relief it was for him to stop serenading her, because he looked back, saw something, and grew pale and rigid before escaping this tower… by jumping out of the window.

And turns out, the figure that made his skin crawl… was none other than Ruby Rose.

The queen narrowed her eyes, wondering what the girl did to him and why the human teen looked upset.

"Ruby… did you have something to do with this?"

"You're mine," the human growled, Crescent Rose already cradled, blood-red cloak fluttering harshly, silver eyes burning with… with…

_Jealousy?!_

Weiss gaped.

_Does she seriously think I actually want to be with that buffoon?!_

"You're mine and mine only. No one else can have you. Ever."

The Queen blinked, gazing at the human.

Ruby looked… really angry.

And if she were being honest, it was a little intimidating and… kind of cute.

As soon as the thoughts appeared, she shook them away with a blush, rising from her throne.

"I'm no one's," she declared.

Ruby's eyes bore directly into hers.

"That'll change soon."

* * *

**~To be Continued~**

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Jealous Ruby is surprisingly hard to write… but at the same time, it's really flippin' cute to see her like that! **

**And poor Jaune… No, wait a minute, I don't give a darn about him, he's useless anyway.**

**So… yeah. The next chapter's gonna be the last chapter. Again, this story is more of a compilation of one-shots than anything, so it's likely that I'll post more chapters in the future, just… don't get your hopes up.**


	7. Chapter VII: Blades VS Fists

**Author's Notes:**

**So I had this idea before - I went to sleep - of how Yang and Blake first met each other, because I'm sure some of you are just dying to read their first encounter.**

… **And the next morning when I woke up, I decided to turn that idea into a chapter of my story.**

**Also, school's being a... _female dog_ to me. One teacher insisted I give her souvenir from NZ despite only teaching me, like, once, and "subtly" threatened that she'd lower my grades if I don't kiss her butt. And the other insisted I join the new English Debate Competition and, when I tried to politely refuse, told me not to be a whiny girl and not disappoint her. And I _still_ haven't gone to the doctor yet! Hooray!**

**I mean, in all seriousness, if I'd gotten into the school because of my trophies and achievements, then by the unspoken law, I _should_ continue to strive for more trophies and achievements for the school. But even if I_ did_ win_ some_ awards, I still got in because of my grades. My honest, above-average grades. And now this teacher is telling me not to _care_ about my grades? _What?_**

**Ugh. So, yeah. School's kind of hard. And have I mentioned that I had 3 exams today _and_ I forgot to bring my painkillers. **

* * *

**~Queens and Mages~**

* * *

**Chapter VII**

**Blades VS Fists**

"Leave."

"Why should I?"

The human didn't have the decency to look at her as she answered and kept on admiring the entrance of the tower, whistling lightly to herself.

It irritated her even more.

This human was going to pay dearly.

… But her morals told her that maybe she was simply brain-dead and wandered in here without knowing the dangers that lie beneath the rocky surface.

"You are in the demon tower," she spoke quite slowly. "Humans are not allowed."

It was then that the human tore her eyes from the pillar to look at her.

And the cat was momentarily mesmerized by those eyes.

_In all of my years of living… never have I seen such beautiful eyes._

It compelled her to look at the human more deeply.

Whoever this human was, she certainly was not average.

Bright yellow hair that reminded her of a lion's mane. Clothes that shone and reveal enough to the imagination. A face that hid wisdom and intelligence. Muscles that shone through, telling that she had fighting experience - and a great one, at that.

The human scratched her chin, humming to herself. "Wait, so this- _this_ is actually the _tower_ tower. Thought it was just a random tower… not as spooky as it seems," she added under her breath, which Blake caught with her enhanced sense of hearing.

Blake regarded her once more. She truly couldn't tell if the blonde was faking her persona or if she really didn't understand the threat of the tower.

… She didn't care all that much, either.

"Very well." She summoned her weapon and took her battle-stance. She noticed the way the blonde's eyes travelled onto Gambol Shroud, gauging it. There was no fear in those eyes. "If you shall not leave, then you shall fight me."

And sadly for any human, a fight with Blake Belladonna equals imminent death.

Not once had any human ever come close to defeating her.

"Eh? Wait, why should- why shall I fight-"

Blake didn't give her the chance to finish her question, closing in the long distance they had with a single leap.

The human, as predicted, took a defensive stance.

At the last moment, she summoned a clone to 'attack' from the front.

And the real her…

Well, she'd simply land and jumped over the human before finishing her off.

Simple, but quite effective, if the dozens of victims didn't give it away.

She heard the strangled, confused noise coming from the human when her clone burst into a cloud of black smoke.

Her blade thirsted to give one pain.

And so, she shall compel to its wishes.

She aimed through the back, directly to the heart to make it quick and smooth and clean. No human had ever survived-

"Oh, wow, you're good."

A beat passed.

And another.

And then Blake realized she was no longer looking at a mane of blonde… but rather… the pretty face of the human.

The human who was holding her blade with one hand.

The human who was still smiling that easy-going smile, raising one amused eyebrow at her, as if this whole predicament was a joke to her.

_She… Her hand didn't even bleed from holding the sharp edges of Gambol…_

And Gambol was made from the finest materials there was - one monster even lost its finger from simply touching her blade.

_Just…_

_Just who is this human?_

"Are you gonna stand there and keep ogling me?" She started before her cheeks flushed. "I mean, I know I'm hot and all but you're flattering me."

And so Blake leaped back, crouching down, hissing.

Only one beat passed before the cat began to fight the human again.

She kept on attacking in every way possible, using her clones to disorientate the human.

But the human managed to block and parry and dodge _every single one_ of her attacks.

And it wasn't because of her powers or some kind of spell that allowed her to predict the future, Blake realized.

… Her reflexes were just _that_ fast.

But then…

Blake realized something even more horrible and humiliating.

And she jumped back, creating a safe distance between them.

And she growled.

"Why are you not attacking?"

The human's response was… inarticulate.

"Umm…"

"Attack me, foolish human!"

The human looked at her cautiously, almost sympathetically. It angered her even more. She was poking at her pride and Blake would _not _allow that.

"O...kay, but just to warn you, people usually don't want me to attack them."

And the human closed her eyes, relaxing all of her muscles. Even from afar, Blake could feel the sheer concentration and power emanating from this human.

And then that power increased.

More.

And more.

And more.

And flames burst out of the human's body, a source of light brighter than the setting sun before them.

It was… sheer raw power.

Blake had seen nothing like it before.

And she was…

She was enthralled by it.

And now she realized… The blonde was neither faking her persona nor didn't understand the threat of the tower.

She understood full-well the threat of the tower.

But to her… it would never be a real threat.

Because she was too powerful, too skilled to consider anything in the tower a threat.

Blake was transfixed. Enchanted. Amazed.

And she was frozen.

Even as the human leaped at her, one fist cocked back, aimed towards her.

Blake closed her eyes, knowing it was far too late for her to dodge the attack. She was too weak to block it too.

There was a gust of wind.

Heavy breathing.

… And no pain.

"Gotcha."

She dared herself to open her eyes.

A fist was inches away from her face. And behind that fist… was the triumphed, grinning human.

Blake waited for a couple more seconds before deducting that the human wasn't pulling a spell nor a potion that could kill her and she was… actually safe.

She took a step back, creating a more reasonable distance with the human.

"... You didn't hurt me."

The human laughed as if it was a silly statement. "Why should I? You're super pretty and I like you."

… Pretty.

No human had ever called her that.

Much less admit that they liked her.

If it were any other human, Blake would be inclined to believe they were not only lying, but doing it for the sake of mocking her.

But this human had proven herself not to be like any other human.

"I'm a monster."

The human shook her head as the fire around her died down. Only now did Blake notice that even her flame didn't harm her.

"Well, sure, our people call your people a monster, but… that's not the real truth. You're not a _monster_ monster."

Blake's heart skipped a beat.

Before she could fully comprehend those words, the human was already on her way to the exit. But before she left, she turned and grinned at her.

"I haven't had a good fight like that in years. You're a good fighter." It was an understatement, but Blake was willing to let it pass. "We should totally do this again sometimes! What do you say, kitty?"

"Don't call me kitty," she growled, taking a threatening, stomping step forward.

The human's smile didn't falter. Not one bit.

… And it was a really beautiful smile.

"... Meet me outside the gates tomorrow at nightfall. Don't be late."

* * *

**~To be Continued~**

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Dawwww, kitty's got a crush~**

**Currently, in the original webtoon… shit's hitting the fan. The plot's getting heavier and the cute fluffy stuff is being put on hold.**

**Which is why I'm waiting for the plot stuff to be over so I can get back to reading the cutenessTM and hopefully get inspired to write my own version of the cuteness(TM) idea.**


	8. Chapter VIII: An Unusual End

**Author's Notes:**

**Aye, the last chapter is here. At least, until the actual comic provides me with more content I can use to turn into a fanfiction… and when I'm inspired enough to actually write that content.**

**I've gotta say, writing this story has been fun and… not that stressful. With stories such as The Truth and What Matters More, I have to write a plot and an arc and all of that stuff. With this, all I'm doing is write a feel-good White Rose AU.**

* * *

**~Queens and Mages~**

* * *

**Chapter VIII**

**An Unusual End**

"Good morning, my queen~"

Weiss sighed and looked toward the steeled-window, frowning lightly. "I don't think it's morning anymore," she muttered, pointing toward the sun that was already up and shining confidently. She squinted. She hated the sun.

She then shook her head and faced the young girl, her cocky smirk already planted in place. "Alright then, let's- what's that?"

The human looked as fresh and chipper as ever, but she didn't bring any potions with her, nor was her oversized-scythe in her hand.

Instead, Ruby was holding a basket, smiling up at her shyly and a little hopeful, her cheeks a tad redder than usual.

"Oh, well, you see, I'm not here to fight you this time," she said, shuffling her foot.

"You're not?" Weiss tilted her head to the side, dropping her fighting stance.

The brunette looked away almost nervously before clearing her throat and meeting her eyes again. "Well, at first I _did_ want to fight you," she admitted with a shrug, "but then there're these sales at the market and I thought 'hey! I bet Weiss would love that! And that too! And definitely that!'" she cheered, pointing at imaginary objects. "So I sort of brought it all for you." She gestured toward her basket.

Weiss took a sniff. Even from afar, she could smell the contents inside the basket.

Were… were those food?

They all smelled delicious.

A small smile curled into her lips. "All for… me?"

"Of course it's for you," the human responded as if it was the most obvious statement in the world. That made the queen happier, somehow. Ruby swayed the basket side-to-side, visibly ecstatic. "It's what us humans call… indoor picnic~!"

…

The… 'indoor picnic', as Ruby had called it, was not as terrible as she first suspected it would be.

In fact, it was the complete opposite.

They both sat on the grey blanketed-floor - Ruby had said she forgot to buy the 'picnic blanket', whatever that meant, so she had to make due. There was a small candle propped up in the middle of the blanket, with different kinds of food surrounding it.

Human food was… interesting.

They came up with all kinds of ways to improve how tasty it was, combining different kinds of meat with different kinds of bread alongside different kinds of… who-knew-what, and naming them 'sandwiches' or 'hot dogs'...

Sadly, the hot dog was neither hot in temperature nor was it made out of actual dog meat… Humans and their disgusting trickery.

All in all, today was a pleasant day. The food was interesting. The company was entertaining. And she was in a good mood.

"So… how's the tower these days?"

Weiss looked up from her 'kebab', raising a white eyebrow at the human in front of her who was holding her sandwich.

"Are you interrogating me?"

The human smiled and shook her head. "It's called getting to know you better, silly~" Getting to know her better… Weiss was unimpressed, lowering her eyebrows into a frown. Ruby saw this and pouted. "Look, one day, I'm going to marry you-"

"And that day is the day pigs fly."

"Agree to disagree," said Ruby as she waved her hand. She then clapped them together with a dreamy look on her face. "So, since we'll be together, why not get to know each other better? You know, build a bond? Trust and respect and communication and stuff."

For a long while, Weiss simply stared.

"... Blake put you up to this, didn't she?"

When Ruby blushed and stuttered, Weiss knew her assumption was correct. "Well, yeah," the human eventually admitted, rubbing her neck. "But… I kinda agree with her." Shy grey eyes met reserved blue. "I want to get to know you, Weiss."

Weiss' heart skipped a beat.

Ruby was… a cute human.

A really cute human.

But more than that, she was sincere, and she had this charm in her that separated her from all the other humans Weiss had encountered.

Ruby Rose was one interesting human.

And…

She was also the only human Weiss trusted.

"... Fine. What do you wish to ask?"

Ruby brightened, her eyes widening and her mouth plastering a toothy grin. She then dimmed, humming in thought as she scratched her chin. She looked cute.

"Oh!" the human said, startling her. "What's your favorite color?"

Weiss didn't have to think long and hard.

"Red."

Ruby perked back up again. "R-really?"

"Yes. It is the color of blood," she explained, a gentle smile tugging her lips, contradicting her statement. "I love seeing red pouring out of my enemies."

"O-oh."

Ruby looked… unpleased. "What's wrong?" she asked, more concerned than she thought she would be.

The human noticed her distressed and quickly put on a reassuring smile, waving her hands in a denial of sorts. "Nothing, nothing, I thought- umm, nevermind." Weiss frowned but was willing to let the matter drop. Ruby cleared her throat again, content on continuing this… game. "Yeah, so… what're your favorite spells?"

"Glyphs," she deadpanned. Wasn't it obvious? It was the spell she used most often and enjoyed most.

Ruby chuckled sheepishly. "Yeah, I figured." _Good,_ she thought. They'd battled each other for quite a long time, it'd be rude for the human to not know her preferred method of fighting, especially since the queen herself knew how she fought like the back of her hand.

"What do you think of my sweet darling Crescent Rose?" the human asked.

"It's an abomination."

Ruby pouted and started to sniffle.

"... It's a nice abomination."

Ruby stopped her heartbreaking sniffles, practically switching into her normal, cheerful, infuriating persona again.

They fell into a peaceful silence.

And Weiss never felt more relaxed… more content with herself and everything around her. She knew Ruby was to blame for that. The young girl had this aura surrounding her - a powerful aura, for sure… but also a warm aura. One that drew her in.

Ruby never saw her as anything less than who she was. She saw her as someone who was amazing in so many ways. She never feared her, never was disgusted by her, and never was furious at her.

Weiss Schnee was a demon.

And yet Ruby Rose saw her as an angel.

And maybe that was why she fell in love with her.

"Do you think I can beat you?"

"... Perhaps one day."

* * *

**~The End~**

**(?)**

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**See, I put a little question mark below the end there to sort of signify that, hey, maybe this isn't the end… or maybe this is… who knows?!**

**It's been a fun little journey. I don't know if I'll write more or not. And if I do, I won't make a plot out of it. If you haven't read the actual webcomic… do it right now. It's really fun to read and the plot is also quite interesting. The characters are also expressive and fun and you can tell that the author/writer/artist really put a lot of effort into it.**

**Cheers, everyone~**


	9. Chapter IX: How to Court Someone

**Author's Note:**

**After how popular this series has gotten, I thought I'd try to write a couple more chapters. I decided to try and focus more on Bumblebee, since they're more in my comfort zone than White Rose. I ended up writing 8 more chapters, 2 of which shouldn't count as real chapters (I'll explain it to you much later...)**

**I haven't reread my work itself, so if there are any continuity errors, don't hesitate to tell me.**

* * *

**~Queens and Mages~**

* * *

**Chapter IX**

**How to Court Someone**

"So, you're telling me-" a huff, followed by a clank as a gauntlet and a sword clashed together, producing embers, "that you-" a grunt, as that gauntlet began to waver, and a bigger grunt that sounded more like a growl as Yang fired her flames down on the ground, repelling herself back, "have never been on a date before?"

Blake, sweating and panting, stood from a crouching position, her swords hanging loosely in her hands.

They'd been at this for hours.

Blake remembered seeing the sun rising, and thinking of how Yang would love the view.

Now, the sun was bright and fierce and stood on top of them all.

"Well, when you're a general, you typically don't have time for dates."

"That's bullshit."

Blake wanted to laugh. Instead, she cocked an amused eyebrow. "And how, pray tell, is it bullshit?"

Yang glared her mighty glare. Flames still danced around her. She didn't seem to notice. Her eyes, however, started to lose their red hue. "Everyone should go on dates. Dates are fun! You should go on a date too! It doesn't matter if you're the general or the queen or- whatever!"

How strongly Yang felt about the subject captured her interest. "Then I suppose I should." She twirled one of her swords, flicking her ear playfully. "Who should I go on a date with?" She gave Yang a sideways glance. "Jaune? Sun?"

Yang's eyes narrowed, and the red returned. "Definitely not them."

"Illia? Velvet?"

"No."

"Neon?"

"Fuck no."

Blake hummed. "You're right. I shouldn't just go with them. There needs to be a challenge."

It took Yang a few moments to understand. She had always been slow to take in Blake's mind games which, at times, did make those games much more amusing.

"Blake Belladonna." Yang's fist met her chest, right at her fire emblem, where her heart rested. "I challenge you to a duel! If I win, then you'll have to let me take you out on a date!"

"And if I win?"

Yang stilled. "Umm…"

How eloquent.

Blake charged, and Yang blocked it clumsily by the pad of her gauntlet.

Blake smiled, and let her shadow took her place as she snuck to the side.

But Yang knew her.

So before Blake could hit her, Yang was already delivering a kick.

Blake gasped at the impact, and swiftly dodged Yang's claws before she could get ahold of her.

She jumped back.

But Yang jumped forward.

Blake raised her sword, but Yang smiled, and grabbed something out of her pocket.

Blake's eyes widened, and Yang threw that something to the ground.

That something turned out to be a gas bomb.

Blake's eyes stung and watered, and she didn't let Yang get out of her sight, ready and in a position to strike. She wondered when Yang ever had the time to get any kind of bombs, and why she hadn't used it until now.

"Y'know, Blake. I prefer to fight with my hands and get real personal, it's true."

Blake lunged at Yang, but Yang disappeared into the smoke. Blake gritted her teeth. The sense of danger filled her, warned her, for the first time in many years.

The smoke was everywhere. And her heightened senses disoriented her. This wasn't just any bomb.

"But that doesn't mean I'm not smart enough to know that you can't win without a few…" And a sigh tickled Blake's left ear. "Magic tricks."

Blake swung her sword blindly at her left. How did she not see her? Since when was Yang this skillful and tactical in combat?

Blake had always known Yang Xiao Long was not someone to mess with, but _this…_

Yang's presence returned.

Right in front of her.

Blake looked, and there she was, holding out her hand in front of Blake, her face displaying no emotions other than focus and an intent to finish this fight.

Blake stared.

A flicker of flame faded in her fingers.

Yang's lip twitched.

"Gotcha."

Blake gasped, and the explosion sent her reeling back. Her senses didn't work. They were overwhelmed. Blake shut her eyes tight and folded her ears tighter.

When she came to, she was lying on the ground, with Yang on top of her, holding her own sword against her, right at the tip of her throat. Blake would've scoffed and wondered since when Yang was skillful in the arts of swordsmanship, but after what she'd seen, Blake kept her tongue knotted. At this point, if Yang were to declare she was good at the ballerina, Blake wouldn't have doubted her.

Yang's eyes were back to their warm lilac, and she was smiling cheekily, as though she hadn't just annihilated the demon queen's lieutenant with naught an effort.

"I guess you could say I was… too hot for my own good?"

And that was when Blake realised that no matter how exceptional Yang was, she was still Yang.

So it was Blake's turn to smirk.

And with her tail, she pulled Yang's foot and caused her to stumble back, letting go of Blake's sword.

Soon, that sword was back in its owner's hand, and it was she who stood on top of Yang.

The only difference was that Yang smiled with her whole face, while Blake did it with her eyes.

"Hi," Yang said, breathless in a way that made Blake want to pounce at her.

"Hi," Blake returned.

Yang must've expected her to get off at some point, because she squirmed and steadily grew awkward. She chuckled and said, "Will you please get off of me?"

Blake pretended to think it over. "No. I don't think I will."

Yang blinked twice. "Oh."

Blake looked down on her, and took in her form. She practically basked in it; the way Yang's hair flickered and glowed, the way every bit of her body showed muscle. She was radiant. She was defenseless. And Blake was hungry.

Blake discarded her precious weapon away - tossing it aside as though it were garbage - and took her time leaning down. She enjoyed the way Yang's breathing heavied, and especially the way her heartbeat increased in speed the closer they clung to each other.

Their eyes met, searching, admiring, and hesitating just for a short while, before their lips did the same.

At one point, in the middle of their 'courting', Yang stopped to ask, "Hey wait, you never told me what we'd do if you win."

Blake grunted, annoyed that Yang wanted to stop their fun activity, and kissed her roughly. "Date. Weekend. Castle's garden. Don't be late."

And that was how Yang got herself a date with a cute monster kitty.

* * *

**~To be Continued~**

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**I guess I slightly diverge from Blake's POV at the end there, but eh, I couldn't find a more fun way to end this chapter.**

**I wrote it from before I left for school and after I got back. The date as I am writing this is August 9. I think I'll probably upload this at around June. Maybe July?**

**(After-Upload Edit:) Holy shit did I seriously confuse June and July to have come after August? I think I'll just die out of embarrassment.**


	10. Chapter X: How to Pick a Dress

**Author's Note:**

**It had been months since I last wrote Q&M. I must've started this project around late December and early January - so it's literally been 6-7 months. **

**I'd like to think I've improved my writing since then. **

**One of my most noticeable improvements, I think, is the lack of ellipsis in my stories. I overused it then. I don't think I do now. **

**A smaller improvement might be me no longer using dialogue tags unless it's necessary. I still find it fun to use dialogue tags, but I do agree with those who say it kind of takes away the reader's focus from the dialogue, and make them pay attention to **_**how**_ **the characters are saying the words, rather than the words themselves.**

* * *

**~Queens and Mages~**

* * *

**Chapter X**

**How to Pick a Dress**

Blake looked at herself in the silver mirror and bit her lip.

The dress she wore might be over the top, but she had nothing else as appropriate in her wardrobe. It wasn't as though she spent the weekends shopping in those human markets for clothing, admiring how soft the silk was, how detailed the embroidery were, and how fashionable the design was.

The dress clung tightly at her waist and stomach, but was loose and wavy in every other direction. It didn't have too much layers - Blake hated being denied her freedom to move. No matter what, she was a fighter first, and a lady on a date second. She opted to go for a lighter-colored dress. She wanted something fresh for Yang to look at, so its color were white and creamy, desaturated pink.

It wasn't flashy by any means, but it was a complete 180 degree turn from her usual dark and grungy style.

"You look good."

Blake needed not to turn, for she could see clearly, through her reflection, her queen standing, clothed in her usual light armour.

Queen Weiss didn't look upset. She looked amused, in fact, and perhaps a little worried for the right reasons.

"I believe I do." A small swell of amusement rose in Blake's chest. Her queen's emotions always bled off of others, even if she didn't intend for it to. Blake wondered if Queen Weiss even realised it.

No words needed to be said. Neither she nor her queen were much of a talker. They preferred to let the silence tell it all.

Blake's smile was warm, and real, and she wondered if Yang were as jitterish as she was.

* * *

"RUBY, WHAT THE FUCK DO I WEAR?!"

"I DON'T KNOW! WHY THE FRICK ARE YOU ASKING ME?!"

"BECAUSE I'M DESPERATE AND SCARED OF RUINING EVERYTHING!"

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT BLAKE LOVES YOU YOU WON'T RUIN ANYTHING!"

"I KNOW THAT BUT _STILL_!"

Things were perhaps a bit… disheveled in the Xiao-Rose household.

To say Yang was jitterish would be an understatement. Hell, at this point, to call her having a panic attack and hyperventilating might still be an understatement.

She paced around the room, her fiery aura activated despite there not being any real sense of danger. The body knew when a threat was about to come. Sometimes, it activated its aura without the person knowing. The body must knew Yang was freaking the fuck out, because why else would it be bursting off steam all over the house?

Yeah. She was _that_ freaked out.

And it was starting to rub off of her little sister, because Ruby looked as nervous as she was, sitting on the counter, fidgeting, her weaponry techs discarded. It was almost as if Ruby herself was to play a part in the date. As if she was going on a date herself.

Ruby coughed an awkward, fake cough in an effort to lower the tension. With a laugh, she said, "I mean, I don't get why you're so freaked out about this. You've gone on many dates before."

"Yeah, but that's-" Yang fumed, struggling to find the right word. "That's different!"

The heat in her cheeks increased at Ruby's curious expression. "How so?"

_Because I've never genuinely liked someone as much as I do with Blake. _Yang gulped. This might even cross the 'L Word' territory here.

"It's just different, okay?" The flames flickered out, and Yang collapsed on her bed. The pile of dresses bounced upon impact. "Now, can you please help out your big sister here? She really needs help."

Ruby bit her lip, and stood up. She walked over and picked up the dresses, analysing them with that hawkish, analytical silver eyes of hers.

"Gee, you really went all out with this, huh?" she said, holding out one of Yang's older dresses that certainly wouldn't fit her anymore. Yang hadn't even considered that fact. She just looked at it and pulled it out of her wardrobe.

"I mean, it's Blake, so…" Yang gestured off-handedly to the air, as though it would explain everything. Ruby nodded, like it did explain everything.

"I guess… I guess if you want this to work, we have to look at this from a different angle."

"A different angle?"

Ruby grinned excitedly, and impishly. Yang could've sworn she saw horns poking out of her head.

"Who said you have to wear a dress?"

* * *

As soon as Yang left, Ruby collapsed on the bed, sighing out loud. Boy, who knew being a wingwoman was this hard?

She felt something buzzing in her chest. It was her communication necklace.

She activated it.

"Gee, I know Yang's crushing on Blake, but I didn't know it was this bad."

It had been given to her on a very special day. Ruby smiled at the memory. It was no ordinary necklace. Only few people had the privilege of owning it.

"Same here," her queen said - her face showing clearly in the white mist coming out of the necklace. "Blake's more subtle about it, but I can tell."

Ruby nodded. Then, a thought crossed her mind. "Hey, Weiss?"

She must've had shown something suspicious in either her face or her tone, because Queen Weiss narrowed her eyes and straightened her posture. "Yes, Rose?"

Oof. Last name. Ruby chuckled sheepishly. "Hey, don't be like that. I haven't even told you my idea yet."

"You don't need to in order for me to know whatever it is must be horrible and dangerous."

Ruby opened her mouth to object, but found no real objections. She settled for pouting, instead. "But I just want to spend time with you."

Her Queen, always the secret softie, caved in after several seconds. "I hate you."

That was _such_ a lie. Ruby giggled. "Thanks!"

* * *

**~To be Continued~**

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**I refuse to believe that there is no such communication device similar to a hologram in the world of MaDQ (Mage and Demon Queen, the original Webtoon.) But just in case it'll one day be proven that, despite how advanced the spells can be in the Webtoon, I'll not use the hologram thingie in my story again. Ever. Probably. Maybe. We'll see.**


	11. Chapter XI: How to Please the Courter

**Author's Note:**

**This is the end of the 'How to' mini-series in my series and will answer the question of the previous chapter. Enjoy, fangirls and fanboys!**

* * *

**~Queens and Mages~**

* * *

**Chapter XI**

**How to Please the Courter**

Blake fidgeted around with her dress. She knew it would probably ruin the material, but she couldn't help herself.

It was almost time.

She stood near the entrance of the castle, hoping no humans would see her. The other monsters would think of her as an idiot. A monster, dating a human? And the Queen's second in command at that? Preposterous!

Was this truly worth it? She'd seen the way the young Ruby looked at Queen Weiss. That, right there, was a love that would last. That was a love that would survive through many ordeals.

Blake had thought she would experience the same kind of love, many years ago. She'd been a fool to think so.

Still, it was hard for her not to fall in love with the kindness and strength and prosperous Yang Xiao Long.

She could only hope that this wasn't a mistake too.

_You're overreacting, _she chided herself as she started to hear footsteps. _It's only a date. It's not like she's asking you to get married._

"Yo, Blake!"

She smiled as she looked up, but felt heat creeping up onto her cheeks at what Yang was wearing.

Oh, wow. A tux. Huh. She hadn't expected that. And those shoulder pads? Yeah, that was- um- yeah. And the shoes? Double wow. Just- yeah. Yeah, okay. Yeah. _Wow._

"You… look…" Too many words could describe her beauty, but none would fit Yang better than 'hot'. Still, no matter how flabbergasted she was, Blake wasn't stupid enough to try to inflate her ego. In the end, all she could say was, "You look purple."

Yeah.

Purple.

Nice going, Belladonna.

Yang didn't look offended or amused. In fact, she beamed at the compliment, looking positively thrilled as she twirled around. "I know, right?! This looks sort of like my dad's wedding suit!"

Badump, said Blake's chest painfully, whilst her mind kept on repeating the word 'wedding' over and over again in a panic.

_Perhaps she might actually be asking you to get married._

The thought excited her. But Blake realised how wholly inappropriate it was, and squashed the thought down.

When she returned to the land of the living, she noticed that Yang was saying something with an unusually shy smile.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Blake asked, berating herself for getting lost in her thoughts.

"I said you look great," Yang said. "And that bow is a nice touch."

Said bow dangled against her collarbone as she bowed. "It has… history."

Yang didn't flinch at her sudden somber tone. Her smile was as wide and pure as ever. "Anything you want to tell me?"

"Not yet." And it was true. Blake could see herself one day telling Yang all about it. All about her hardships. Bracing herself, Blake extended her hand. "Shall we?"

"My, what a gentleman." Yang took it without question, and they walked inside. She hummed to herself a cheery tune and stopped humming after a short while. "Wait, where is everyone?" Yang looked at her, and must notice something, because her eyes suddenly narrow. "Blake, did you clear out the first floor?"

Yes. She did. But she wasn't going to tell Yang that. It'd give off the impression that she cared about Yang more than she'd like to admit, so instead, she said, "It's Labor Day."

"Wait, I thought that was, like, three months ago."

It was. "Clearly, you are mistaken."

Yang, being the too-trusting gem that she was, scratched the side of her head, nonplussed. "Huh. I guess I must've mistaken it with last year's Labor Day."

And even if she hadn't, even if Yang called her out, Blake could still make up a silly excuse, something like monsters' Labor Day being different from humans'. Yang had reasons to not believe her, but she had even bigger reasons not not to believe her.

Humans knew less of monsters than monsters did of humans. Only a handful of monsters knew of how humans truly acted in the modern ages, and humans being knowledgeable of monsters and how they behaved when they weren't trying to kill humans was unheard of.

Blake took Yang to the edges of the gardens, nearing the forest. They could hear the sounds of the river not too far from the castle. Everything was tranquil. Or at least it would've been if Yang were to stop fidgeting.

"Something wrong?" Blake asked, throwing the red sheet over to the dryer parts of the land with less sharp-bladed, long grass that pierced through your skin. The land slightly inclined, and Blake only noticed this when she sat down. She'd forgotten that the castle was surrounded by hills.

Looking at Yang, Blake found that she refused to meet her eyes. It gave her an unpleasant feeling to know that Yang wouldn't simply talk to her and avoided the question. It was almost childish.

_Then again, we do not know each other as well as we liked. _There was only so much you could learn about someone by kicking them, punching them, and failing to punch and kick them. Blake dispelled the downtrodden thought. _That's why we're here. To get to know one another. To be closer._

Blake looked at Yang's lips, and dispelled that thought as well. _Perhaps not too close._

Whatever Yang's worries were seemed to quieten down when Blake summoned a spell to bring forth their early lunch - or as the humans liked to call it, brunch.

She'd had suspicions about Yang liking meat for a long while now, and those suspicions rose mainly from her many off-handed comments during aftermatches. Small things such as "man, I could really use some bacon now" and "I wonder if Dad's cooking ham sandwich right now…" and sometimes even "man, I'd love to marry bacon", followed by a quick glance at Blake, a nervous chuckle, and a small "err, no offense, Blakey…"

That suspicion was now proven correct.

Yang's eyes sparkled, brighter than ever, as though she was seeing the love of her life and finding happily ever after. She gasped, less like the so-called 'cool huntress' that she claimed to be and more like an emotional teenager caught off-guard. Her hands even flew into her mouth.

All because of the many-flavored meat sitting prettily and patiently before her, waiting expectantly.

Blake didn't bring that many food. She only brought what her resources would allow her. But still, seeing the way Yang react like that made her feel great.

Blake asked her to dig in, and Yang didn't hesitate, obliging like a trained pup. With each dainty bite from Blake, there were two or three humongous bites from Yang. Blake ate all of the fish meat, and Yang ate the rest of them.

Yang talked a lot as she chewed, and Blake was honestly surprised she hadn't choked and died in all the years she'd lived. Blake didn't mind, though, not when the way she lit up every time Blake offered a small input to her story told Blake exactly how much Blake meant to her.

Words were simple. Blake read a lot, so she should know. It was easy for people to say that they cared, that Blake meant the world to them, that they'd die for her. The trick to knowing how people truly felt was not to listen, but to see.

Words. Words were simple. And they could be staged.

Actions and expressions, on the other hand, could not.

Once they finished, Yang offered to clean up the remains of their food, and before Blake could refuse, she casted a spell that wiped away the crumbs and bones.

She also accidentally wiped away Blake's red sheet.

"Whoops," said Yang whilst cringing, to which Blake rolled her eyes. "I'll buy you another one?"

The sheet was made out of a gremblin's fur, mixed in with ores and dark gems only found in the depths of caves unknown to humans. Blake doubted she could just 'buy another one'.

"No need."

"Are you sure?" Yang looked as though she'd stolen from an orphan rather than send away an item to who knew where. "I mean, you've done all of this. The least I could do is…" She gestured with her hands rather than finish her sentence with actual words. Yang Xiao Long, ever the expressionist.

"I'm sure." After all, Blake had had a pleasant time, so far. This didn't disturb her.

She took Yang to the balcony on the upper level, of which she cleared as well. She could feel Yang eyeing her once they arrived, but Yang didn't speak out.

The balcony offered a large, stretching and unending view of the mystical forest. The balcony itself was hidden in plain sight. Blake had found this place by accident, many years ago. She loved to read, ponder, and to simply enjoy the view here in peaceful quiet.

Until now, she was the only one who knew of this place.

This was Blake's favorite place in her castle, her home.

And she was taking Yang here.

She might as well took Yang to her bedroom. She doubted it would make a difference.

_But that's truly preposterous, _a small part of Blake said. _I don't care about Yang that much. Yes, I've cleared out two levels of the tower for her, and done more than necessary to provide her food to feast on, but that means nothing. I may hold a torch for her, yes, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it love._

It wasn't as though Blake wished to propose to Yang, and make her Blake's bride.

_Though, it would certainly be nice, _Blake shyly thought to herself, then quickly erased the thought. It was nonsensical, and driven less by logic and more by the giddiness she felt due to the date.

"The view is amazing," Yang said.

"Obviously."

"But not as beautiful as you."

Blake smiled, and Yang's smile grew. "Obviously."

There were so many things to think about, and too little time to think about any of it. So Blake didn't think about it, or about anything, really.

"Have you ever wondered what the world would be like if humans and monsters had gotten along from the beginning?"

What a stupid question. Of course she had. Everyone had.

Blake let the silence speak. Words were of no use. The sun waved the trees goodbye, its light lingering on the edges, kissing them warmly, gently.

"I want to say I wish the world wasn't like this. That I want there to be no wars in the first place. That everyone would just… stop hating each other."

Yang was glowing when Blake turned to look at her. There was a touch of softness she hadn't seen before - something forlorn and peaceful at once. There was a word for it, Blake was sure. A word to describe Yang. A word including the feeling of giving in and giving up and staying still.

Blake couldn't find the word, but it was there somewhere, whispered in the winds, hidden in the shadows, in the depths of the oaks and the willows. It was there. She knew it was there.

"You don't." Blake gasped the words.

Yang, who'd been looking at the distance, veered her eyes. She didn't meet Blake's eyes. They didn't make eye-contact. Yang saw straight through her, not looking into her eyes but looking into her.

"It means I'd never have met you."

Blake didn't know who moved and who stayed still, nor who leaned in and who cupped whose cheeks, and who claimed who's lips with her own, and she didn't need to know.

* * *

**~To be Continued~**

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**I've just arrived from NZ, and have updated 3 stories on FFnet, uploaded 1 new LiS story in Ao3, and now finished this! I am on a roll here! And I'm certain I'll crash from jet lag pretty soon.**

**This is a bit of a heavy chapter, and that's mainly due to the fact that if I want to keep this story going, I need there to be an actual story to it - small and nonsensical as it may be.**

**In this chapter, I add in a bit of… let's say "solidness" to strengthen the universe of which this story takes place in. I plan to maybe add more in the later chapters - just to ease into things.**


	12. Chapter XII: An Unusual Potential

**Author's Note:**

**This was actually the last chapter I've written for this story. I decided to put it here because it serves as a one-shot, and I prefer to end this story with a special chapter.**

* * *

**~Queens and Mages~**

* * *

**Chapter XII**

**An Unusual Potential**

Weiss danced and twirled around Ruby, and laughed as Ruby grunted in frustration, trying to inflict any sort of pain with that huge scythe of hers.

Oh, what a fool the girl was. To believe she'd be able to defeat her one day? Not even Jaune Arc would dare imagine such a thought.

Ruby stomped her feet and gritted her teeth together, and Weiss found it odd that she was pouting in the middle of a battle.

If this were a real battle, she'd die for not paying enough attention to note that a dozen or so glyphs hovered proudly behind her, ready to serve Weiss and bring out the best of beasts and foes alike that Weiss had beaten at some point in her life.

But as such, Weiss chose to let the glyphs go, and flicked the girl in the forehead with her rapier.

"You dolt, what are you doing?"

Ruby continued to puff out her rosy cheeks and refused to look at her. Weiss frowned, and tried to remember what Blake had once said about being gentle with young humans, for they were fragile creatures, and they might burst into tears if they were to hit their tiny toes at any tables or chairs. (It was the reason why she'd gotten rid of all tables in this floor.)

Weiss cleared her throat and lowered her weapon. She considered putting it away entirely, but that was preposterous, for she was meant to be the evilest of them all. "Rose, I demand you to tell me why you've stopped, and to better understand that you cannot just stop in the middle of a battle! I could've hurt you!"

Ruby looked up at her at last. "You wouldn't, though."

No, she wouldn't. Not in a serious, harmful manner anyway. But that wasn't the point. "Don't question me. Now, tell me what is going through your head, lately, and do it quick. I don't like wasting time."

She meant for it to be a threat, but when Ruby chuckled and lost her pout, she got the feeling that the threat wasn't heard. She also got the feeling that she didn't mind all that much when she was able to see that inhumanely cute smile of hers.

"Yeah, I've figured." Ruby put her scythe away, and with great reluctance, Weiss put her own weapon away as well. "I don't know, I just…" Ruby broke out a rather un-ladylike groan, and slumped into a sitting position like a puppet with its strings cut. "It's stupid…"

Weiss tried to remember what Blake had warned her about what to say when a young human - especially of the 'teenager' kind - were to tell her that it was 'stupid'.

"If it's stupid then don't bug me with it."

Ruby wailed harder, and puffed her cheeks out again.

Clearly, that might not be the right thing to say.

Blake had also said that humans loved closeness, so she gently dropped down next to Ruby, tilting her head. "Speak."

Ruby looked at her, gulped, and looked back down again.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to defeat you. Ever."

A beat passed.

And another.

And another.

And Weiss' mind was made up.

"Stand."

"What?"

Weiss gave her a glare. "Did I stutter?"

Ruby gave her a confused look, but did as she was told, as she should.

It didn't take Weiss long to gather her thoughts, and she stood up seconds later, facing a very confused Ruby.

She didn't know where to start, so she waged that cutting to the chase might be the best option.

"The truth is that all humans have the ability to defeat me."

A beat.

And another.

And a startled "what?" coming from the shocked girl.

Weiss looked at her dead in the eye. "Did I stutter?" After a nervous shake of the head, she continued. "We all have Aura. Mana. Chi. Whatever you humans prefer to call it. And though some Auras are greater than others, if you learn how to control them better, you'll be able to unlock a power within your own self, your own soul. Something not helped by spells or magic."

"Powers without magic?" Ruby gasped. "But that's impossible!"

Weiss smiled. "It can't be impossible, my dear, for it is the truth."

'Semblance' was what the ancients called it.

Very few know of it. People of higher knowledge and historians alike claimed that even in the world they live in today, people still gravitated towards their semblance without realising by using magic that somewhat replicated what their semblance might've been.

_In a way,_ Weiss thought somberly, _they're trying to fix what's missing, not knowing what it is that's missing._

"If you focus hard enough, you might be able to harness it. Your true power."

"Really?"

"Yes, now focus. Search deep within yourself. Try to find something that you feel as though is locked away from you, kept away, hidden."

Ruby nodded and did as told with an added sigh.

The truth was that if this were any other human, Weiss wouldn't have told her any of these, or encouraged her to try and harness her own powers, especially considering that Ruby wished to best her in combat.

But Ruby wasn't any other human.

And everyone except for Ruby herself knew of it.

There was something about her. The rawness in her power, that red cloak and massive scythe, the last name 'Rose', and how easily and quickly she defeated all monsters with a smile and a skip to her tippy-toes.

Weiss expected nothing much from this little experiment. In fact, she dared say she expected nothing at all.

But Ruby was nothing if not good at surprising her.

In a few minutes, something weird happened. There was a glow around her, surrounding her, enveloping her, brighter than the sun.

Now, this wasn't normally uncommon. This was a sign that the magic was working.

Except Ruby's glow was normally red.

And this glow wasn't red.

It was silver.

Ruby exploded, the floor shook, and the entire tower rattled.

Weiss grunted, and applauded herself for not forgetting to cast a protection spell for herself as she covered her eyes and planted her feet to the ground, unwilling to let the blast faze her.

She gasped and cursed as her ears rang. At least the worst had passed.

Weiss blinked, and remembered about Ruby.

Oh no. "Ruby!"

Weiss ran to heal her. Thankfully, Ruby didn't seem to be injured, only dazed and full of small aches. With a spell, all of her minor injuries were shooed away. Before Ruby could really question anything, Weiss sent her away with an ice blast, not without checking one more time to see if all was well.

Blake arrived as Ruby disappeared. "What happened, Weiss?! All of us felt that. Are you okay?"

"I'm okay."

Blake gave her a glance that told her she didn't quite believe her. Weiss sent her away as well, though not in as much of a forceful manner.

Once Weiss was sure she was alone, she checked her health bar.

It was yellow.

* * *

**~To be Continued~**

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**So, um. This turned out to be less romantic-y and more worldbuilding-y.**

**I got this idea on the fly. Like, what if on this version of RWBY, it's Semblances that people don't know about, and magic that's practically common! It's, like, the opposite of how it is on the actual show.**

**Again, I should warn you not to take this too seriously, and not to think about it too deeply. This might not make any sense at all, or it might even contradict the rules I've established before. But, like. This story is meant for fun, and if you come at me listing off every reason why my story doesn't make sense and I should change it, then I'm just gonna not respond to you, even if you're right. **

**Sorry if this A/N isn't as cheery and fun as it normally is. I've just been dealing with a lot of things.**


	13. Chapter XIII: Cliff and Hanger

**Author's Note:**

**I should really consider reading the rest of the manga to avoid any unintentional divergence from the original story. I don't want to follow each step the OG story takes, but I also don't want to stray too far away from it. That story has a world of its own, rules of its own, and if I don't understand it, then I'll be, in a way, disrespecting it. **

**Also, this, and the next chapter, are discontinued chapters. The reason why I called these 'unfinished' is because-**

**A) I've not had the motivation to continue it, and-**

**B) The theme doesn't fit with the overall tone of this story.**

**The reason why I bother putting it out at all is because, well, I've worked my butt off to write this chapter. I ain't gonna just not put it out! Even if it's not finished!**

* * *

**~Queens and Mages~**

* * *

**Chapter XIII**

**Cliff and Hanger**

Weiss tapped her perfectly-sharp and manicured claw-like nails to the edge of the throne. The clank, clank, clank of the impact sounded as loud as an explosion spell in this quiet floor.

It was quiet.

It shouldn't be quiet.

But patience was a virtue every queen should learn, so Weiss stopped tapping her fingers to the throne, for it was an unlady-like habit.

It was quiet.

Until it wasn't. Until there was a tap, tap, tap sound of her heels hitting the stone-tiled floor.

Weiss didn't realise it, not until she realised it wasn't as quiet as before.

She stood up, gritting her teeth. Her Aura had manifested without her putting a conscious thought to it, lowering the room's temperature. If a human were to walk in, they'd die from the chill.

_Where is she?! _That wretched rat! She'd made an oath to come every day to commence a battle exactly when the sun met the edges of the hill above them - or as Ruby had put it while pointing at the wrist device that told time without any use of magic, at 'three twenty in the evening', which was silly.

Weiss looked at the hills through her window - which was a far more accurate way to tell the time rather than the silly things called 'clocks' which humans had invented. The sun had long since kissed the hills. The sky had darkened, and the sun was slowly sinking into the depths of the horizon.

Had something happened?

Ruby Rose was a lot of things, but a promise-breaker wasn't one of them. That girl was nothing if not loyal - sometimes _too_ loyal. If there were any quests the education centre for young humans had given her, she'd tell Weiss beforehand. She'd do something absurd like send letters and flowers and even send in a shadow spell of herself, telling her how sorry she was. (It had happened before, only once, when Ruby was dealing with an 'exam' which was worth 30% of her 'grades'... Human education was unnecessarily complicated, not to mention strange.)

Something must've happened.

"Blake," Weiss called out.

It didn't take long for the strongest demon general to arrive, with a hint of concern, curiosity, and, as always, devotion. "Yes, my queen?"

Weiss rolled her eyes. These days, Blake didn't call her that because she meant it. Rather, she did it out of humor, as a way to tease Weiss. While she supposed it was signs of progress, it still sometimes irked her. "Stop calling me that," she said. "And I need you to guard the castle for me."

The concern grew, and the tiniest hint of mirth was gone. "Is something wrong?"

Weiss shook her head. "Nothing, it's just…" She sighed, feeling heat creeping up into her cheeks. "Ruby's not here."

"Oh." Blake blinked. "And you wish to check up on her?"

To scold her and pinch her by the ear and demand to be given at least ten white roses, more like. "Something like that."

"Do you want me to cast you a transportation spell?"

Transportation spells were one of the hardest spells to cast, and for good reasons. It didn't mean you could go anywhere you like, especially when it was almost habitual for people nowadays to sprinkle in a portal-blocker in order to avoid any unwanted guests.

Weiss raised her arm, palm facing Blake. "No need. Just make sure not to let those idiotic monsters cause too much of a ruckus." She held some respect for her underlings - an admittedly small amount, it was true, but sometimes it felt like she were a human mother with too many human children to care for, and if she were to set her gaze away from them at all, then they'd set the human kitchen on fire.

Nodding at Blake's warning to be careful, Weiss closed her eyes and concentrated.

Transportation spells were difficult for another reason too. They required an utmost deep-level of concentration, and for the caster to be familiar with the surrounding in which they wished to inhabit.

Weiss had never been to Ruby's household. But Blake had, and it was why she'd offered to cast the spell for Weiss.

However, there was another way you could transport yourself to a different place. A more… unethical method.

You could still cast it, so long as you focus on the person you want to be close with rather than the place.

It wasn't common knowledge. Weiss doubted even Blake knew. And it was more of a myth than an actual spell.

To transport yourself not to a place but to a person required a bond, a connection, or some kind of relation to that person. You need to intimately know that person in order for the spell to work.

Weiss almost snapped her eyes open at that. She and Ruby were close, it was true, but they weren't that close! Weiss was simply confident in her abilities because she and Ruby traded blows at each other for the past few months more than anyone. That was all! It all stemmed from a need to defeat each other, nothing more.

Weiss saw Ruby as an opponent to play around with. No more, and no less.

A gasp, coming from behind. "How did you…?"

Weiss already knew there was a portal in front of her even before she opened her eyes. She offered Blake a cheshire smile she hoped looked mysterious. She wasn't too keen on telling Blake about the other, less adequate method of the spell - that would only add more ammo to Blake's teasing, and Blake already had enough of them for the teasing to last for years.

Weiss stepped into the portal, proud and a little nervous, only for those two emotions to be dropped and replaced by utter horror.

"W-Weiss?"

Ruby stood before her, leaning onto a wall, bloodied and bruised and alone in a dark alleyway.

* * *

**~To be Continued~**

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Cliffhanger endings are cliffy and hangery.**

**Also, even though I think it's obvious at this point, I feel like I should tell you that this story isn't told in a linear timeline. Like, some of these events could've happened days after Ruby first met Weiss, and some, months.**

**And I'm still considering on giving this story an actual story - with plots and tensions and suspense, all that stuff. The reason why I'm still deciding is that, truth be told, I'm tired of multi-chapter stories that correlate with one another. I want to write something short and sweet and lighthearted, but I also know that I'll run out of materials to write soon if I don't act on a story, fast.**


	14. Chapter XIV: The Unfinished

**Author's Note:**

**I've written what I consider to be decent writing in less than a day even with my jet lag, tailbone pain that **_**will not disappear even with painkillers**_**, and the newfound paranoia that comes with finding out that your mother read your freaking diary and confronted you about it. (Don't worry guys, I didn't write that I was a lesbian. I won't be sent to any concentration camps soon.)**

* * *

**~Queens and Mages~**

* * *

**Chapter XIV**

**The Unfinished**

Ruby coughed out blood and wished she was strong enough to summon her inventory. Embarrassment filtered over her. She didn't want her queen to see her like this. She barely wanted her sister and father to see her like this. She tried to smile through the pain, and dumbly hoped that her disarming Xiao-Rose grin would be enough to dispel Weiss' worries. "Oh, heya. What're you doing here?"

She almost choked on her words. Almost. Mentally, Ruby gave herself a high-five for her ability to say a complete sentence before breaking into wheezes and splutters.

"Why haven't you healed yourself?"

Ruby winced, both from the pain and the question. She refused to meet her queen's eyes. "Eh. Guess I just don't feel like it."

"Ruby." Sharp nails dug into the skin of her cheeks, and Weiss forced Ruby to look at her and only her. "As your queen, I command you tell me why."

Though she'd many times admitted aloud of how devoted she was to her queen, Weiss had never, not once, used it in any way. She continued to treat Ruby as nothing more than her opponent, which was fine by her.

This was the first time the queen openly challenged her beliefs - whether or not she'd disobey a direct order from her queen.

Ruby gulped.

There was a part of her that wished to challenge her queen. After all, she was a mere human, and she was never a subject to Weiss.

But all it took for those thoughts to disappear - and for her to give in - was to look at Weiss and realize how tense and worried she was, even if the worry was masked by coldness. "They looted my items."

"And who are 'they'?"

"Bandits."

Ruby was far greater than your average fighter, it was true, but that didn't mean she was always prepared to give her all at any time. She'd been caught off-guard.

"Am I correct to presume they're also the reason why you're in this condition?"

"Yes."

"Tell me who they are."

Ruby paled. "Weiss, no."

Weiss' fangs sharpened, and her eyes slitted. "Tell me."

"You can't just up and show yourself to the human world like this!" If Ruby could, she would've pushed Weiss away, if only to grip her by the shoulders tightly and hope it would make her better understand. Instead, she settled for clutching Weiss' wrist. "I know you're in charge of the castle and all, but things are different out here! People hate demons- they'll kill them- especially you! And I don't want you to get hurt!"

The truth was that many people hated monsters not because they posed a real threat, but because they need something to hate on, and hey, monsters were something they should hate on, so why not? Monsters were used as outlets for humans' anger, frustration, spite; all of their negative emotions boiled into one.

There was a reason why many monsters resided in the safety of the demon castle or near its areas, and why the rest of it chose to hide from the world.

Weiss snorted, not getting anything she was saying. "As if they'd be able to touch me."

Ruby had no doubt Weiss could defeat those bandits without exerting more than 0.01% of her Aura, maybe even less so. But that wasn't the point. "I don't want you anywhere near them."

"Why?"

_Because they hate you. Because I don't want you to know how much they hate you. _"They're far gone, at this point. It'll be pointless to try and look for them just because they beat me up good."

"No, it won't be." The intensity in her tone bewildered Ruby. "But I suppose you are correct. We shouldn't waste our time diddle-daddling."

Ruby was about to question why Weiss was angrier than she should be, and why she was still using old-timey words like 'diddle-daddling' when a blue portal opened before her very eyes.

"Your majesty?" Portals were caused by transportation spells, and transportation spells were very taxing, draining, and required the utmost concentration. "You didn't have to-"

Ruby's words were cut off.

By Weiss holding her in a bridal carry by one swift motion.

"Hush," Weiss said, coaxing her arm to encircle her neck. "You speak too much. It's annoying."

Ruby gulped, not able to say anything because _holy freaking cookies is this really happening?! My Queen is really holding me! She's really holding me! _

She drifted in and out of consciousness, after that. She heard Blake greeting Weiss, only to gasp, and Weiss, barking orders at her and everyone else. Weiss sounded mad. Really mad. _Is it my fault?_

Ruby couldn't think well. Thinking hurt - more so than usual. And all she wanted to do was sleep. So Ruby slept.

* * *

**~To be Continued~**

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**My original idea was for Ruby to wake up in Weiss' bed, and for Weiss to confront her about why she was the way she was. Ruby would confess that there were humans speaking out about how much they hated the demon queen, and lashed out. Arguments would happen (and it would be the first argument they'd have as a not-couple but kind-of-a-couple), and they'd both realise that things between them were getting pretty serious.**

**It might've panned out longer, with Weiss telling Ruby never to come here again, and Ruby pretending that she didn't love Weiss, but eh. I barely have time for myself, nowadays. Plus, this story was never supposed to be serious, it was supposed to be a break from all the other serious crap I write (TTaWMM, S:BL.)**


	15. Chapter XV: The Red Queen

**Author's Note:**

**Let's try something fresh and fun, yeah?**

* * *

**~Queens and Mages~**

* * *

**Chapter XII**

**The Red Queen**

Weiss stood, trying to ease her trembles. She shall not let her fears show, for that was insulting of her. She pulled her shoulders back, and her spine straight - a perfect posture for the perfect fighter. Myneaster, her trusted rapier, dangled uneasily at her side, but ready to defend her, as did the many potions in her belt pocket and blouse pocket and stashed away in her inventory.

Oh, how badly she wished to hold on to something, anything, or perhaps to simply walk away, never look back, and pretend it never happened.

But no.

She was a lady with pride, and she shall continue to be so.

Weiss walked in to the tower of monsters.

Nothing greeted her with warmth. Not even the hallway, nor the old stone bricks, nor the spikes and the carvings of thorns and roses lingering in every piece of interior - like a marking.

Especially not the monsters.

Oh, they were relentless, and strong, and each displayed a different set of wide-ranged skills.

But Weiss was stubborn. Inhumanely so.

And she defeated them through 17 years of training, instinctual, graceful movements woven in her bloodline, and sheer stubbornness.

It took Weiss less than a minute to clear out the monsters from the first floor. And the second. And the third. All the way up to the middle of the tower, where she rested once she cleared it all out.

Weiss considered giving herself a healing spell or a freshening one, but thought better of it. She needed to save every bit of potions and spells for the real monster, the most challenging fit of all; The Demon Queen.

Thinking about her - no, _it_ \- shuddered the bones in her body, and chilled her muscles.

She'd do it.

She was sure of it.

She breezed through the rest of the levels, and wondered why people kept saying that the higher the level, the stronger the monster was. It was foolish and untrue. Weiss hadn't had any difficulties bringing down any of these monsters, and she surely found no difference between one monster with the other. They were all weaklings. Weaklings who she hoped would get fired for not doing their jobs properly.

Honestly, they weren't even trying, at this point.

Weiss encountered no obstacles.

Not until the level before the mad queen.

The true reason why real fighters - mages, witches, and hunters alike - had had difficulties even catching a glimpse of the Demon Queen.

Its peachy skin mixed in with golden scales, almost like a tattoo. Only, tattoos did not glow nor shimmer. Tattoos did not intimidate.

Its hair - no, its mane - hovered and flew, providing no real line between the blonde of the hair and the yellow of the flames. Mystical indeed.

The flaming dragon towered over her in all of its brutish glory.

"I've never met such a young beastly human before," it confessed, its sharp and jaded tongue slithering out like a snake's would. It tilted its head, and the red ore that were its eyes softened and turned into a more purple-ish hue, just for a moment. "How old are you? Like, ten? Twelve?"

"I'm seventeen, you buffoon."

"And you're so full of expressions too." The redness crept back up. It smiled a distrusting, unarming smile. Weiss had heard of this strange monster loving to woo young women, but to actually see it bowing its head and taking her hand to kiss it was another matter entirely. "Allow me to introduce myself," it said, its mouth nearing Weiss' hand.

Weiss pulled away her hand before it could try something. "I know who you are."

"Oh, you do?"

The beast smiled, wishing to be entertained, floundered, admired.

Weiss wasn't about to give her any of that. She scowled and summoned her Aura, letting the cold blue wips of it surround her, dance around her, and enfold her.

"And I know how to defeat you."

Its smile grew - unending fangs sickly decorating the insides of her mouth. "Oh, you do?" There was a humming tune to its voice, as though this was all a joke to it.

It angered Weiss more.

How dare it underestimate her!

Weiss' lips twitched. "Indeed."

"And how, my dear, will you do that?"

_I'm glad you asked._

Her fingers danced in practised movements, and her Aura grew stronger, thicker, and more wary, bracing itself for the ineffable.

The beast's eyes widened, curiosity dancing in its sharp eyes. "Interesting…" It wisely took a step back, as the temperature of the room - which was scalding hot before - begun to drop lower, courtesy of her elemental. "Very interesting, human. What will you do, exactly? Cast a cloning spell? Icy blades to counter my bright flames?" An amused laugh. "You can try, but you'll not be the first, for I have encountered beings far more powerful than you, and I have not lost to them, not even once."

That may be true.

The fiery beast was rumoured to be even stronger than the queen, and the only reason why it hadn't tried to claim the throne was either because the queen shared the same blood as her or because it was simply uninterested for what it considered trivial things such as ruling the kingdom.

Weiss had no doubt that they were on equal footing.

If she were to fight this dragon, she knew she would come out of the battle with injuries that couldn't be healed with even dozens of healing spells, in the chance that she would come out of it alive.

Which was why she wouldn't waste her time fighting this nobody, not when her eyes were dead-set on the true wicked beast.

A blast erupted, and the shockwave made the dragon stumble, less in pain and more in genuine shock. Good. It should be surprised.

Its scales rose, and it glowered, all traces of mirth and cockiness gone. "What is this?"

"This," Weiss gestured to the newly-emerged woman in front of her, resisting the almost-irresistible urge to cackle, "is the only way to defeat you."

Blake Belladonna stood, weapons in her hands, a lust for blood in her eyes.

She charged before the beast could speak, and the room was engulfed in blurs of black and yellow.

Weiss had no trouble sneaking away, not when the yellow beast was distracted by the black beauty.

With only a small bead of sweat, tremors, and a newfound confidence, Weiss stepped forth into the abyss known as the Red Queen's room.

* * *

**~To be Continued~**

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**I've no doubt that if Yang were a monster, she'd be a cocky one, and she'd use her spare time to travel across the world. She'd be a huge flirt to humans and monsters alike, and somehow gain a crowd of admirers - fans, if you will.**

**Also, I tried to pull a small twist at the beginning there, and make it seem as though this is a flashback chapter, the story of how Weiss took the throne. I hope the twist works. But if not, then, oh well.**

**Jet lag is still haunting me. That, and the pain in my tailbone. It's been a week since that luge hit me and it doesn't get any better. Even the painkillers don't work as well as they should! **


	16. Chapter XVI: Before the Beginning

**Author's Note:**

**So, here we are, at the end, at last. At least, until I one day got myself another burst of inspiration and typed another five chapters of this story in one sitting. **

**You know, I think the strangest thing about this is how disinterested I am in the whole "magical world" trope. I know it's strange considering I'm a fan of RWBY, but I actually kind of dislike it. But writing about this trope, on the other hand... whoa. It's quite fun. I wish I could've written more chapters for you guys, but I'm all out of inspiration for this story.**

**So, um, yeah. Here's the last chapter!**

* * *

**~Queens and Mages~**

* * *

**Chapter XVI**

**Before the Beginning**

"So," Sun said, his eyes shimmering in the dark, his chin resting on his hands, and his elbows crutching at the round table, "what do you monsters think?"

His fellow monster friends gave each other glances. All of them bore emotions ranging from concerned, to suspicious, to grim. Good. They should all be serious, for this was a serious matter.

The Arc monster stood up and slammed his hands to the table, glaring at Sun with equal parts conviction and fear. "Nay! It shan't be! Thy refuse to believe such- such heinous accusations."

Neptune, Sun's dear friend, groaned and slouched. "Jaune, there aren't any humans around. You can speak normally, dude."

Sun couldn't agree more.

Jaune's conviction faltered and left him with nothing but fear and embarrassment. He sulked, sat back down with all of his vigor gone, refusing to look at anyone.

… Was this dude really a monster? Because Sun had a hard time believing he could fight an ant, much less any tiny human.

Nora, on his other side, tilted her head to the side, her eyes narrowing. "Yeah, and aren't you still, like, technically an intern? What are you even doing here?"

Jaune winced. "I- um, well-"

"Enough!" Sun's boom rattled the room. Everyone looked at him, and calmed. Jaune 'eep'ed and returned to his seat, seemingly smaller and more insignificant than ever. "We can't distract ourselves from the main issue. We must resolve this issue, for our queen's sake, more than anything."

"But is it really that big of a deal?" Neptune scratched his head. "I mean, there's technically nothing wrong with her."

"You're right. There isn't."

All eyes turned to the last occupant in the room. The general they all feared. The general that was leagues above even he. Sun had no doubt that this particular general could kill them all in the blink of an eye.

Blake's face remained neutral - expressionless, even - as she said, "However, Wukong is right. Our Queen's happiness is just as important as her safety."

She was still. Inhumanely so. The only sign of her moving were the twitching of her lips as she spoke and the subtle flick of the ear the untrained eye could never dare to see.

Sun charmed her his smile. "Thanks, Blake." He refocused his attention to all of the other monsters, rubbing his hands together. "Now, let's get back to business and- no, Nep," he pointed to his friend without looking, "I know what you're going to say, and no! We're not trying to defeat the huns!"

A small, dejected "aww" could be heard.

"We're trying to defeat something even more terrifying than the huns…" He took a deep breath, and looked at each and every one of his fellow generals before saying, "Being single."

Everyone in the room except for Blake released a sound of fear.

Sun slammed his fist to the table and sent it cracking.

"Monsters!" he screamed. "Who should we ship our queen with?"

A beat of silence existed before- "Well, that's easy! Me, of course!"

They all stared at Jaune, whose smile lost more of its awkward charm and turned into a grimace.

Sun blinked. "... Right, I need a real answer, folks."

Jaune's face dropped. "W-wait, but that is a real-"

"Velvet!" He pointed at the bunny, who squeaked in response. "What do you think?"

Velvet hummed. "I think maybe Neptune should be with her."

"Wha-? Me?"

Neptune looked affronted, and Sun snapped his fingers. Why of course! The answer was so obvious! The Queen had held an attraction towards the monster of the sea for some time now.

"Oh, yeah! She's totally into you, dude!"

Neptune didn't look convinced.

"B-but- I- no way!"

Sun was very much convinced.

"Yes way!"

"Dude, no way!"

"Yes yes way!"

"No no way!"

"Ha! That's a yes!"

"What?! No it isn't! Stop putting words in my mouth!"

**…**

Blake rolled her eyes at their bickering. Of course. Of course Sun would gather all of the generals - plus the Arc boy, for some reason - in a secret, urgent meeting not even _the queen herself_ knew for… well, this.

Idiots. Utter, complete idiots.

"What do you think, Blake?" Everyone quieted at Velvet's question. They all turned to look at her, expecting an answer out of her.

Blake opened her mouth, but Neptune - whose face brightened considerably, all of a sudden - spoke before she could let any air out of her mouth.

"Wait a second! I got it! Blake should be with our queen!"

"What?!" the Arc boy said.

But Neptune was already nodding to himself, immersed in his own head. "They're super close. They complement each other. And best of all, Blake's tall!"

Blake blinked at that.

"What-?" Sun asked, looking positively as bewildered as she. "What does that even have to do with anything!?"

"Well, it'll save our queen from the embarrassment of being short…"

Oh good lord.

"Dude, literally everyone's taller than our queen." Sun stared at Neptune dead in the eye. "Everyone."

"That_ is_ true…"

The bickering grew louder and louder. Blake shared one look with Velvet, and together, they left without the other generals noticing.

Velvet laughed all of a sudden, and Blake snuck a glance at her.

"What are you laughing about?" She couldn't hold back the small smile that tugged her lips. Velvet was a kind soul, and though Blake wasn't very close with her, they still formed a kind of friendship mostly due to their quiet nature - or, in Blake's case, irritation towards idiots.

"Nothing, it's just-" Velvet gave her a certain kind of coyness with her look. "You never answered my question." Ah. Yes. That. "Do you wish to wed our queen?"

"No."

"Not even if it's a loveless marriage?"

"No." Plus, Blake didn't believe in the notion.

"Huh."

Blake was quiet for a long time, gathering her thoughts, and wondering if she should ever even share these thoughts with another soul. However, Velvet was a nice companion, and she could be trusted. No matter where they had all come from, they all had one goal in mind; to forever serve and protect their queen.

"I believe not one of us would be able to catch our queen's eyes." And her heart, she didn't say.

"So, a new monster then? Or a monster from another place?"

No, not at all. That couldn't be further from what she was insinuating. Blake shook her head.

Whoever this person was, they'd have to not only best the queen in combat, but be able to serve and please the queen, to love her more than all of the monsters in this castle combined.

That was no easy fit.

In fact, Blake didn't believe this person to be a monster. But she could never tell anyone this, not even Velvet.

And perhaps Blake was simply overthinking things, as she always did. After all, it was almost impossible to melt off the icy walls of the queen, much less make her fall in love. Blake doubted anyone like that would even exist-

"General! General!"

Blake turned to the two little minions. "What is it?"

The minions looked wary. Afraid, almost. "We sensed a mage. A strong one, coming this way."

Velvet tilted her head. "How strong?"

The minions looked at each other. "Strong enough that she might be able to defeat General Wukong," one said nervously.

A 'she'? How peculiar.

Blake and Velvet looked at each other.

"I'll call the others and send them back to their floors," Velvet said.

Blake nodded, and made a move to return to her own floor, the second highest in the entire tower, bested only by the queen's floor, for obvious reasons.

The thoughts of a rogue someone charming the queen turned into naught but a vague buzz in the back of her mind. Blake would not think of it, not until she met this weird young mage who claimed that she was in love with the queen and she'd very much like to meet her, and later proved it in many ways.

So no.

Blake would not think of a lover for the queen. Not for a long while.

* * *

**~The End~**

**(?)**

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Before you ask, yes, that was Ruby approaching the tower, there.**

**Thanks for everything, guys! Writing this has been a real journey for me! I honestly don't know if I'll continue to write it, but I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you. But I don't know. I might use this story as a way for me to practise writing stories with actual plots. I'll discuss more about this in the _BtS: Behind the Story_ thing that's about to come up, but yeah. Cheers!**


	17. BtS: Behind the Story

**Introduction**

Hello, and welcome to **BtS: Behind the Story**, where I disassemble everything I've written in this story and analyse them in hopes of figuring out what makes my story work and what I should try to avoid in later stories.

I know that it's unusual for writers to do this, but I've always been a critical person. Even when I'm satisfied with my work, I'm always looking for mistakes, not to belittle myself, but to improve myself.

Whether you're a writer who's just started, or an experienced writer, or just an avid reader, I hope this'll bear some use to you! After all, nothing's as important as knowledge!

Due to this story not having any plot, I've decided that I should focus on three main things: grammar, relationships, and accuracy between this and the anime RWBY, as well as some other things.

Again, if you've not read the original webtoon, please do so. _COLOR_LES_ really puts in all of their hard work into the story. It'd be a shame for you not to read it. If you enjoyed this then you'll definitely enjoy that story a lot more.

Without further ado, let's get started!

**How this Story Came to Be**

There isn't much of a story, really, but I'll tell you anyway.

One day, I discovered about _Mage and Demon Queen_ add at school. At home, I decided to binge-read the whole first season of it in one whole afternoon. During the entire time, all I did was keep comparing Malori to Ruby and Velverosa to Weiss. Who could blame me?! Malori has a cape and short hair and those innocent, cute eyes! Just like Ruby!

I got this itch. Like, this itch where if I don't do _something_ about it, then I'll explode out of frustration. So I opened up my laptop and spent the whole day writing up to 2-3 chapters. The next day, I wrote another few chapters. And so on, and so forth, until I wrote 8 chapters in under a week.

That was about a year ago.

Back then, I was busying myself with my two other RWBY projects: _Strangers: Become Lovers_ and _The Truth and What Matters More_ that I didn't have time to publish it, or even think about it too much.

Plus, I wasn't confident about this story. When I usually write stories, they tend to be serious and, honestly? Kind of angsty. This is totally what I'm not used to writing, at least when it comes to something more than one-shots.

I never really devoted all of my time and effort for this story. This was just a way for me to have fun and let myself loose for once. It was a side project for me, and I put off the thought of publishing it until I wrapped up _The Truth and What Matters Most._

I decided not to think about stories too much. I needed a break. So I posted one-shot stories for a while before I finally gathered enough courage to post both _S:BL_ _{Strangers: Become Lovers}_ and _Q&M {Queens and Mages} ._

Lo and behold! It's _Q&M_ that bombed! Much to my surprise (and irritation, at the time.)

I never thought that _Q&M_ would become what it is now. It's my second most popular story ever, right next to _Fans and Girlfriends! _

_That_ is a huge deal.

It just goes to show that life is unexpected… I think. If there is a lesson to be learned here. Or maybe it's 'don't belittle your work, no matter how insignificant it seems'? I don't know.

**Grammar**

Grammar is something that I've struggled with since… always. Due to my native language having no past/present/future/conditional tenses and all of those other confusing things, it sometimes escapes me; mistakes that are glaringly obvious to the rest of you.

Most of the mistakes I caught were of conditional sentences. And using "did" when I should've used "would" and vice versa.

Even now, writing this, I'm scared that I've already made dozens of mistakes and I'm too blind to see it.

Though, I'm happy to say that I've improved a lot! Grammar is currently the most important aspect for me because I'm aiming to study abroad, and therefore should score decently in ESL test.

Sadly, it's hard to get a decent English education—or a decent education as a whole—where I live. It has to do with me being a small townie, and my country not yet deeming the English education as mandatory. I mean, we _do_ get English education, but it's clear that whoever's in charge doesn't bother putting in any effort in the curriculum.

During my middle school years, it was me who had to point out to the teachers on the mistakes they made.

It sounds sad, but eso si que es, and it's why I try to encourage you all to tell me when I've made mistakes. It'll seriously be helpful.

**Relationships**

Of course, the highlight of this story would be the relationships! Most importantly, the romantic ships themselves!

**White Rose**

I took a lot of how their dynamic works from the original Webtoon, but added my own little twists and turns to it. I didn't want Ruby and Weiss to be exact copies of Malori and Velverosa, but I wanted their dynamic to be similar to it.

Something I've noticed in the Webtoon is how ridiculously OP Velverosa is. It makes me wonder how _COLOR_LES_ plans to have Malori defeat her, if she wants that at all. (But, knowing how much of a genius and a madman _COLOR_LES_ is, I'm sure they'll come up with something even better than Malori defeating Velverosa.)

I wanted it to be clear that Weiss is still a rookie demon queen. She's powerful as a demon, yes, but she's not at her full strength yet.

Neither is Ruby.

If you've not yet noticed, the way I wrote Ruby makes it clear that she would have defeated Weiss on multiple occasions were she more experienced. After months of battling Weiss, Ruby knows how to leave an opening, but doesn't know what to do with that opening.

Their relationship is more equal, that way, compared to Velverosa and Malori. And I know that what makes their relationship so good is that one of them is a strong queen and the other is a student, but I wanted to add my own flair to it.

**Bumblebee**

Unlike White Rose, which is inspired by the main attraction of the original webtoon, Bumblebee is something I created all by myself.

I based Yang off of Cerik, Malori's best friend, and Blake off of the mermaid general girl whose name I keep forgetting. But their relationship is way different than in the original webtoon.

I made it intentionally vague just how they met, and how they became… well, _them_. Their relationship is vastly different from White Rose's.

Where in White Rose, one of them refuses to admit that she's in love with the other, here, both of them knows they're into each other.

Their relationship, I think, is more casual than White Rose's. Neither of them can call it love _yet_, and neither of them are desperate to make the other their wife.

It's almost like "friends with benefits", only the benefits deal includes sparring every day.

Another fun thing is, where it's clear in White Rose who is stronger than the other, in Bumblebee, we aren't completely sure. Both of them are holding themselves back. And Yang's intentionally losing. So… who knows? Both of these options are equally fun to consider! Or perhaps they truly _are_ equals in terms of strength and skills.

I'll leave it to the reader's interpretations, AKA, your interpretation.

**Monochrome**

No, it's not Monochrome as in the relationship pairing, it's Monochrome as in the pairing in general. Weiss and Blake, and their friendship.

Blake can defeat Weiss. In fact, in some aspects, she's stronger than Weiss. Weiss is powerful, yes, but she's young, so she lacks experience. Blake, though, is older, wiser, and knows more than a few dirty tricks.

If Blake wanted to, she could become the new queen, but that isn't her, and that'll never be her. Can you honestly see Blake as a leader? Because I sure can't.

She's not interested in leading, and ruling, and all of that royalty junk. If she were interested, she would've stayed in Menagerie and strived to become the new Chieftain of that place. She _is_ a princess.

She's served the previous demon queen, and now she's serving the new one. She, of all people, knows Weiss. They've bonded because of their lack of age difference. I'd say that while Weiss is still 17, Blake's in her early 20s already—somewhere around 20-22, unlike the other monsters, who are in their 30s or 40s or, I don't know, 80s?

They're best friends. Blake isn't intimidated by Weiss, unlike the other monsters. She never holds back with her teasing, and while it irks Weiss, it never bothers _actually_ her on a personal level.

I actually quite like their friendship. Blake's looking out for Weiss as she learns how to be a true demon queen, and Weiss' teaching Blake how to be herself. Maybe when it comes to certain, mundane things, Weiss looks up to Blake for guidance. And Blake herself is content with this friendship. Weiss, unlike many, is genuine. Sure, she's blunt, but she's honest. Blake never feels like she's secretly being stabbed in the back when she's with Weiss.

So, yeah. They're wholesome, basically.

**Rose-Long**

Again, _no_, I'm not insinuating that Ruby and Yang are secretly in a relationship this whole time, because _ew_.

Ruby has made it clear to Yang from the beginning that she's in love with Weiss, even before they met. Yang, meanwhile, kept it a secret from Ruby that she's starting to fall for Blake too.

There's not much to say about them, mostly because their sisterly-relationship is basically the same as canon.

Though, I will say that if there's anything interesting about them, it's how strongly Yang protects Ruby's secret from the world, fearful that humans will hurt her if they knew.

**Others**

There are still some other relationships I've not mentioned, like Blake and Ruby, Jaune and Ruby, Velvet and Blake, etc. Each of them are interesting in their own rights. I wish I could develop more of their relationship, especially Ruby and Blake's.

Maybe I'll even add in Freezerburn into the mix as well, invoke chaos by putting Weiss and Yang in the same room. _That_ would be fun.

**Comedy**

The creator of the original Webtoon, _COLOR_LES_, seems to prefer a wackier, more over the top comedy, with people bleeding from their nose due to their attraction, and people imagining other people in, erm, "adult clothing".

It's the kind of humor mostly seen in animes and mangas, and it totally works for the comic! It's always hilarious to see Malori imagining herself as Velverosa's wife and vice versa.

The humor works for the comic, but it's not the kind of humor I'm used to writing. Of course, I could've tried to emulate the original comic's humor, but I think that would've done me more harm than good. I can't force myself to write in a certain way, nor can any writer, for that matter.

I have my own style of humor, so I leaned onto that, and you guys seemed to enjoy it.

My humor tends to be the calm, dry kind. Sure, there's blushing and stuttering, but it's not as intense as the original comic, and that's okay! Despite loving comedy, I tend to focus on the characters and how accurately I present them before jumping into the comedy.

For instance, I won't try to have Weiss act like a total kid and hurt her demons because of them teasing her and Ruby. Instead, I'll have her threaten to hurt them, even though everyone knows it's an empty threat.

I like more grounded humor, but that doesn't mean I'm saying my humor is better than _COLOR_LES_'! Humor is subjective!

**Backstory/Concepts**

With each chapter ranging around 1k-2k words, and those chapters focusing more on feel-good fluffs, there's never any time to explore the characters and why they're the way they are.

If I were to write more of this, I may change these stories, but for now, these are my ideas on our characters' backstories.

This can be either taken seriously or not. This is just a concept that could be a backstory. Don't take this too seriously. I'm just brainstorming, here.

**Blake**

Blake, of course, has to have the most tragic backstory of all, 'cuz she's an emo kitty.

I'd imagine that even in the monster world, there's its own version of the White Fang, led by none other than Adam. Like in canon, Blake would stick with him until, at 16-17, she has had enough, and left him. Only, instead of finding Beacon, she discovered the demon tower.

It's pretty solid and straightforward. And… yeah. Don't know what else I should say, because it's pretty solid and straightforward.

**Weiss**

Due to the comic having not revealed her story yet, I've taken some liberties myself when it comes to her backstory.

Weiss' family is a whole special species of demons themselves. The Schnees. They're despised even by demons, and have a sort of turf war against the White Fang, just like in canon.

Weiss wanted to stray from the family name, and proved to herself that she could do things on her own, without her father's help. Even though she was the heiress to her own Schnee throne, Weiss decided to work her butt off becoming her own queen, claiming a throne not through blood, but hard work.

It explains why Weiss looks different than all of the other monsters. Her skin's pale, her eyes an icy blue, and her hair white.

(... Man, she reminds me of Daenerys…

Guys, should I make a RWBY x Game of Thrones story? Where House Stark is Ruby and Yang, and House Targaryen is Weiss?! Wait. Does that make Blake a Lannister?! She _is_ a cat faunus, and the Lannisters _are_ lions…

I'm going off-topic here.)

**Ruby**

In the real comic, it's been hinted that Velverosa had met a human who took care of her. A human with a cape and red-brown hair. It's also been hinted that this same cloaked human has something to do with Malori.

My theory is that the cloaked human is Malori's mother, and she took care of Velverosa as a child and has something to do with Malori's devotion towards Velverosa.

Again, this is just a wild theory. I doubt this is what _COLOR_LES_ is intending, but! If we follow through with this theory, we _could_ have Ruby's backstory!

Summer teaching Ruby that monsters aren't evil, and her telling Ruby to take care of Weiss, and Summer taking care of Weiss as a kid… Wouldn't that be dope?

It deepens Ruby's character. Makes her seem less like a crazed fangirl and more like someone who's loyal and kind-hearted.

So, um, yeah…

**Yang**

I've always had this thought that Yang's secretly a half demon from her mom's side.

The reason why she's so overpowered and seems to be so in-tuned with her magic from such a young age is because of her Branwen blood. It also explains why she's not racist towards demons, even though there was a time where she had no reason not to be racist.

I don't know why, but I've always loved to make Yang seem more than who she is. She could be a _very_ interesting character if you play your cards right, especially before Volume 4, where Raven was still this mysterious figure whose motives and powers and loyalty we don't know anything about.

**Accuracy**

What's quite challenging for me is to fit in RWBY's characters into this new world, and making sure they're essentially the same person.

I'd say that, fairly, I did my job okay, when it comes to my version of the cast compared to the real Team RWBY. More or less.

Yang's still the cocky, overpowered big sister who likes to have fun and not think too much about anything. I'm basing her off from the Yang in Volume 1 until 3, where she was, well… _still armed_. (I'm not sorry.)

She likes to brawl with Blake, and never takes those brawls seriously. She's also always there for Ruby when Ruby needs someone.

Ruby's still, well, Ruby. The only difference is that she's in love with Weiss and wishes to marry her, but I'd like to put that aside since it's essential for this story, even if it's far from accurate.

She wants to save people. She thinks violence isn't the right thing to do (when it comes to people against people, not people against Grimm.) She's strong for her age. She's clueless, at times.

So, yeah, she _sounds_ like Ruby.

When it comes to Weiss and Blake, however… I might've altered their characterisation in order for the story to work.

Weiss is less like the tsundere ice queen from Volume 1-3, and more like the lonely, uncertain girl in Volume 4, when she was trapped in her "home".

I wanted Weiss to sort of be a rookie. She's young, she's new to this, and she doesn't know as much as she should. She has all these burdens, having to deal with "Castle Shenanigans", not to mention having to deal with a certain insufferable dolt who's too stubborn to give up her ridiculous dreams of being her wife.

Of course, she's still Weiss. She's arrogant, she has a sharp tongue, and she's always glaring daggers at everyone.

Blake is even less accurate.

Sure, she's mysterious, and strong in a quiet way, and she believes in the right cause, and she has a sad backstory, but…

Her relationship with Weiss is unlike canon. When in canon, they, in the first few volumes, disliked each other for obvious reasons. Then, they learned how to value one another and formed a real friendship bond.

In my version, however, their relationship isn't just friendship. Weiss, like I've said before, is inexperienced, unlike Blake. Weiss looks up to Blake when it comes to certain things, like how to deal with misbehaving monsters, or weird cute dunces who won't leave her alone. Blake also learns what a true friendship is through Weiss. Blake was so heartbroken by what happened with the White Fang that she lost all of her trust and kindness. Weiss helped her bring it back.

So, yeah. The monochrome duo isn't close to canon, but hey! They're not OoC either… At least I hope they aren't.

**So… What Next?**

Will I continue this story, knowing that it's my biggest hit yet? Or will I drop it, and continue on with other projects?

It's debatable, honestly. I do have another project, _Raising Hellraisers_, where Yang and Blake are parents of Ruby and Weiss. It's not as popular as this story, which is understandable, since I've only posted 1 chapter (at least, as I am writing this.) Plus, the concept is a little weird, so I understand if people don't want to read it.

I've opened up a large world with endless possibilities with this AU I've made.

We can explore the White Fang bit, with Blake's past catching up to her, and you readers being introduced to Adam. It's been done so many times before, but hey! It's a classic in the RWBY fandom, and there's a good reason why people love writing it. Cliches are cliches for a reason.

Or we can explore the Schnee bit, with Jacques telling Weiss to "stop it with this foolishness" and "come back to the Schnee family where you belong!" It would be dramatic, especially since Weiss feels responsible for so many things. She'd make Blake promise to keep guarding the demon tower, and consider Jacques' proposal. Ruby would then find out about it, and _BAM!_ Drama!

We can even explore the Summer bit, though I'd have to diverge this story even more from _COLOR_LES_' original story, since it hasn't gone that far yet, at least to my knowledge.

There are endless possibilities here. But sadly, I don't think I have enough time to make those possibilities happen—

—which is why I'm giving each and every one of you permission to adopt this story and make it your own. No, you don't need to contact me to do so, though crediting me would be nice. And yes, there can be more than just one person writing this.

I've had one or two people approach me, telling me they wanted to adopt this story. I've had more people telling me to continue this story since they're so hooked into it.

I can't write this story, not because I don't want to, but because I have so many things I need to do, and because I don't know how to approach this story.

Like I said before, I need to start preparing myself for college. I want to study abroad, if possible, and to do that, I need to study now. And that's just one thing. There's also school stuff, family stuff, and health stuff (don't worry, I'm not dying or anything.)

So, if any of you wishes to write this story, go ahead. All I'm asking in return is credit. Just a simple shout-out of my name (and maybe a request to follow me and favourite all of my stories and devote all of their time and love and life towards me and make a cult to worship me) would be enough.

**In Conclusion**

If you're still here right now, then _whoa!_ I cannot believe it. Thanks for sticking with me 'til the end. (Though I doubt any of you'll read this since this isn't even a _real_ chapter...)

But, um, yeah! This story started out as a side-project, and now it's… this. There are so many concepts and ideas that are too big for a simple 1k-2k chapter, but I hope you enjoy this as what it is.

Thank you so much for all of your kind words. I'm sorry if I don't respond to your reviews. Life's been draining my energy, lately. Know that I do read your messages, and they do brighten up my day, even if it's a simple "nice chapter" or "haha, that was fun".

It's always nice to know that what I made have helped brighten up your day, even if it's only for a little while.

So, err, yeah. Don't know what else to say here, other than thank you, I hope you had a good day, and I'll see you next time!


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